Baby death case resolved with plea to obstruction charge

A Rhinelander woman originally charged with second degree reckless homicide in the 2020 death of her infant was sentenced to time served after pleading no contest to an amended charge of obstructing an officer. On Dec. 19, Geana Terry, 39, appeared remotely for a plea and sentencing hearing before Judge Leon Stenz of Forest County. The original homicide charge stemmed from the May 2020 death of her five-month-old child.
Under the plea agreement, Terry pleaded no contest to obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of nine months in jail or a $10,000 fine. She was sentenced to five months incarceration with credit for 432 days already served, resulting in her immediate release. Court costs were also remitted.
Oneida County district attorney Jillian Pfeifer told the court that  issues with the primary witness led prosecutors to amend the charge.
“Through the discovery process, there have been some issues with the primary witness in this case, particularly relating to credibility,” the prosecutor said. “While ultimately, credibility is for the jury, I think that it really has impacted this case for the state to be able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The factual basis for the amended charge centered on Terry initially lying to law enforcement about where the child had been sleeping when officers first responded to the incident.
“I think that evidence clearly showed that this was not a homicide, this was a tragedy,” defense attorney Chip Stroud told the court.
Judge Stenz expressed concern about the length of Terry’s pretrial incarceration.
“It is extremely unfortunate that Miss Terry has spent over 432 days in custody over this,” Stenz said. “That is extremely sad, and I don’t know how that happened.”
The judge noted that credibility issues with witnesses sometimes aren’t discovered until defense counsel gets involved and brings them to the court’s attention. Stenz accepted the joint recommendation, calling it an “appropriate resolution” and noting the sentence was consistent with similar offenses in Oneida County. He declined to impose probation, saying Terry did not need rehabilitation.
“I’m sorry you sat so long in custody as a result of this, but apparently it’s all been resolved at this point,” Stenz told Terry before adjourning.
Terry was originally charged with first degree reckless homicide following her arrest in October 2023. According to court records, a witness came forward in 2024, years after the infant’s death, reporting they had witnessed Terry smother the child during overnight hours on May 6, 2020.
Following a preliminary hearing in April 2024, the charge was amended to second degree reckless homicide. Terry entered a not guilty plea in July and her attorney filed a speedy trial demand. That request was later rescinded.