Severe child neglect draws prison terms for two women

A Coeur d’Alene woman and her mother were ordered imprisoned today for their roles in the neglecting of twin 2-year-old girls. Elisabeth Crossley and her 55-year-old mother, Ruth Cassidy, each will spend up to five years in prison, with no less than two years. Crossley’s twin daughters were found Dec. 5 locked in a bedroom at a Coeur d’Alene apartment. The girls were naked, covered in fecal matter and had bruises and open sores, authorities said. Crossley and Cassidy were each charged with two counts of felony injury to a child. Crossley pleaded guilty to one count while Cassidy entered an Alford plea, in which she did not admit guilt, but acknowledged there was enough evidence for prosecutors to obtain a conviction.