Columbia woman convicted of child abuse sentenced to 5 years probation

A Columbia woman accused of child abuse and neglect is now sentenced to 5 years probation.

A judge announced Anna Steele’s sentence on Monday. She was charged in connection to her infant daughter’s death back in 2014, and pleaded guilty to neglect and child abuse in November.

Steele was originally charged with second degree murder for the death of 8-month-old Finley Steele, but that charge was dropped and amended earlier this year.

Her boyfriend, Cody Baker, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after a second degree murder conviction in Finley’s death.

Boone County Prosecutor Dan Knight said, “Her culpability in this case is not removing Finley Steele from the abusive environment. So we have never alleged that she was the killer. We have always alleged that Cody Baker was the killer in this case. ”