A southern Illinois woman has pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the drowning death of her 8-year-old daughter in 2011.

The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports that 32-year-old Mary Zumwalt-Jophlin of West Frankfort pleaded guilty Monday to concealment of a death, aggravated battery and involuntary manslaughter of her daughter, Alexus Nicole Smothers. Zumwalt-Jophlin's trial was to start Tuesday.

Zumwalt-Jophlin agreed to a sentence of 35 years in prison as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

Authorities alleged Zumwalt-Jophlin killed her daughter at their West Frankfort home and then hid the girl's body in a basement crawlspace.

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