Southeast Missouri woman gets 7 years in daughter's death

BENTON, Mo. - A Southeast Missouri woman has been sentenced to seven years in prison in the death of her 2-year-old daughter.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster's office handled the prosecution of Joanie Fowler, 25, of Pemiscot County. Fowler was sentenced June 27, but Koster announced the sentence Wednesday.

Fowler was convicted of child endangerment.

The child died in 2009. Koster says Fowler's boyfriend hit the girl in the head. Fowler found her daughter unconscious and fighting for breath, but waited at least 30 minutes before calling for help. Koster says she also lied about the cause of the injury, blaming it on an ATV accident.

The girl died days later.

The boyfriend, Mathew Taylor, is serving a 20-year sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.