Autistic daughter starved to death, Pewaukee woman sentenced

PEWAUKEE, Wis. - A Pewaukee woman who prosecutors said starved her daughter to death was sentenced to prison on Thursday.

In Court:

Amy Laskiewicz entered an Alford plea in January. As part of that plea, which does not admit guilt, she avoided trial.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

Laskiewicz was sentenced to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of extended supervision – more time than the state had requested.

The backstory:

Investigators said they found Laskiewicz's 23-year-old daughter, Cora, dead in their Pewaukee condo in January 2023. Deputies said Cora was "severely autistic" and had not left the condo since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amy Laszkiewicz's daughter, Cora

"I believe this case was extremely aggravated, because Cora had special needs," Prosecutor Kristi Gordon said at sentencing.

Prosecutors charged Laszkiewicz with "recklessly subjecting an individual at risk to abuse – causing death."  Laszkiewicz called 911 after finding her daughter dead in bed. Investigators said Cora appeared "extremely thin" with "sunken eyes and cheeks."

According to the Waukesha County Medical Examiner’s Office, the 23-year-old weighed only 70 pounds. By comparison, medical records indicate she weighed 135 pounds during a doctor’s visit seven years earlier. 

During sentencing, the judge compared autopsy photos of Cora to World War II concentration camps. He rejected the defense's request for probation.

"She had a responsibility to save Cora, and she didn't do that," the judge said.

Laszkiewicz was her daughter's legal guardian and sole caretaker. The medical examiner determined the death to be a homicide because Laskiewicz failed to give her daughter adequate food and water.

Amy Laszkiewicz in court on March 20

What they're saying:

Defense Attorney Ronald Sonderhouse argued the 23-year-old woman "could have gotten up and gotten food on her own." Family members, including Laszkiewicz's other adult daughter, also came to her defense.

"She really loves us for who we are – her kids," said Sarah Laszkiewicz, Amy's daughter.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

"I don't think I've ever seen a mother love her child so much," Patricia Dublin, Cora's aunt, said.

Laszkiewicz also made her own plea at Thursday's sentencing hearing.

"Having a child with special needs is challenging, but you have to do what you have to do," she said.