Mother accused in August death of son released on bond

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A southwest Missouri woman accused of letting her 19-year-old developmentally disabled son die has been released on bond.

Kimberly Lightwine has been charged with second-degree murder in the August death of her son, Austin Anderson, who was blind and autistic.

The Springfield News-Leader reported Polk County sheriff’s deputies said they found Lightwine and her son in a field Aug. 29 wearing nothing but their underwear.

An autopsy showed the son died from dehydration and the lack of a vital medication.

Lightwine’s bond was reduced last month to $100,000, which she has since posted.

Terms of her release include house arrest at her sister’s Monett home.

Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com