Mother Killed Baby With Cough Medicine

A woman has been convicted of killing her year-old daughter by giving her an overdose of cough medicine.

A jury deliberated less than an hour Friday before finding Christine Wolfe guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

Wolfe, who lives near Kewanee, faces up to four years in prison. No sentencing date was set and she is free on bond pending sentencing.

Taylor Rose Buckley’s death in 1992 was blamed at first on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. A toxicology test later showed the presence of bropheniramine, an antihistamine found in Dimetapp, a cough medicine.

Dr. Robert Middleberg, a toxicologist, testified that Taylor had 50 times the recommended adult dosage of bropheniramine in her body when she died, but he could not say what level would cause death.

Wolfe was found guilty of the same charge in 1993 but the conviction was overturned because of prosecutorial misconduct by then-Henry County State’s Attorney Larry Vandersnick.