Emmett Woman Sentenced To 20 Yrs For Not Reporting Death Of Granddaughter
Connie Ann Smith from Emmett, Idaho has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for not seeking medical attention for her 8-year-old granddaughter, which ultimately led to the child's death.
Taryn Summers was 8 years old when she died in April of 2021. The family reported Taryn missing, but later her remains were found in a trash bag inside Connie Smith's vehicle (grandmother). Connie Smith was driving the vehicle when the trash bag was found.
Leading up to the discovery of Taryn's body, Taryn and her two siblings had been reported missing. According to testimony by family members, Taryn was malnourished and abused by Connie. The autopsy revealed that Taryn was dehydrated, had pneumonia, and suffered blunt force trauma to the head. However, the autopsy could not determine the exact cause of death. It was proven that Connie did not seek medical treatment for Taryn.
According to reports, Connie Smith pleaded guilty to injury to a child and failure to report the death. Friday, District Judge Gene Petty sentenced Smith to five years fixed and five years indeterminate for injury to a child and 10 years indeterminate for failure to report Taryn's death.
Smith received credit for time served and will be eligible to apply for parole in 2026, receiving 13 months of time served credit.
A restitution hearing is also set for June 3rd at 9:30 am.