OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington state Court of Appeals has rejected a personal restraint petition filed by an Ephrata woman convicted of killing her 25-month-old son.
Maribel Gomez claimed that she may not have been convicted in the 2003 death of her son “Raffy” had her lawyer done a better job. A Grant County judge convicted her of homicide by abuse and first-degree manslaughter in the boy’s death and sentenced her to 27 years.
The court rejected her petition Thursday, ruling that the conviction was easily supported by the evidence.
The case ultimately led to a review of how the state handles foster children. The boy had spent 14 months in foster care and suffered numerous injuries while in his mother’s care, including broken legs, skull fractures, bruises and burns.
