Arkansas caretaker pleads guilty to murder in biting attack of 92-year-old

Jennifer Lea Collins
Jennifer Lea Collins

An Arkansas caretaker has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in the biting attack of a 92-year-old woman who later died.

Jennifer Lea Collins, 56, of Mammoth Spring pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder, according to a news release Wednesday from the 3rd Judicial District prosecuting attorney’s office.

Records show the Collins will serve 20 years in addition to 10 years of a suspended sentence.

She was initially arrested on a charge of first-degree battery. That charge was later upgraded to second-degree murder after the death of Cherokee Village resident Jane Sandefur.

Sandefur was attacked in her home by Collins, who had been hired as her caregiver, on May 11, 2017, according to authorities. She was discovered by her son and was able to tell emergency responders that Collins had hit her and beaten her, the release states.

Police say Sandefur also suffered “multiple bite wounds.” The 92-year-old later succumbed to complications from pneumonia, which was reportedly brought on by the attack.

In a statement, prosecutor Henry Boyce called the death "without a doubt one of the most bizarre cases" he had seen in more than 15 years.

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