Plea Deal Did Not Help Dent County Woman In Adopted Daughter’s Starving Death Case

(Steelville) Susan Abney of rural Dent County is going to spend the rest of her life in prison for her part in the starving death of her and her husband’s adopted daughter.

Abney was sentenced late Tuesday in Crawford County court on a change of venue from Dent County.

The 46-year-old was given the life sentence, even though she cut a plea deal by testifying against her husband, 54-year-old Randall Abney in his trial this summer.

Susan’s murder trial was dropped and she pleaded guilty to abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death.

Randall Abney took his case to a jury trial where he was found guilty of the murder charge and the abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death charge.

In 2020, the Abneys were arrested after 10-year-old Josie Ann Abney was taken to the hospital in Salem, where she died.

Hospital officials say Josie had been in an extreme starving condition.

She died from malnutrition and weighed just 34-pounds at the time of her death.

This case will close when Randall Abney is expected to receive a similar fate when he’s sentenced in Dent County court in Salem in about a month from now on Friday, November 18th.