Pender County woman pleads guilty to child abuse in relation to death of 2-year-old son in 2017

February 17, 2023

WWAY News,

Quanisha Jesha Fennell has pleaded guilty to child abuse n the death of her 2-year-old child in 2017 (Photo: PCSO)

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Pender County woman has pleaded guilty to child abuse in relation to the death of her 2-year-old son in 2017.

Quanisha Fennell made the guilty plea Friday morning in Pender County Superior Court.

On December 11, 2017 officers with the Burgaw police department stopped a man holding a child in his arms as he traveled down Progress Drive.

Officers performed CPR and rushed the child to the hospital, but he did not survive.

“After an extensive investigation surrounding the death of two-year-old Keith Stephens Jr., his mother Quinisha Fennell was arrested last night and charged with second degree murder and felony child abuse,” Burgaw police chief Jim Hock said in 2021.

The second degree murder charge was dismissed Friday.

Fennell received a sentence of at least 10 years in prison, but no more than 12.5 years.

We’ll have more information on our evening newscasts.