Columbia woman pleads guilty in child abuse case

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia woman originally charged with 11 counts including child abuse pleaded guilty Friday to three abuse counts and two endangerment counts.

Shiree Howard is set to be sentenced Nov. 2.

Howard originally faced 11 charges, seven counts of child endangerment, two counts of child abuse and armed criminal action.

According to a probable cause statement, Howard’s children told investigators over multiple interviews that Howard regularly hit them with a yellow plastic bat and used drugs in the house. One child said Howard several years ago placed a plastic bag around her head and held it there for about 20 seconds, according to the statement. The child told police she thought she would die and that Howard has threatened the lives of her and the other children, according to the statement.

Police wrote in the statement that on one occasion, Howard beat two of her older children after her toddler got into her cocaine.