(Atlantic, IA) – There will be no jury trial next week for a former Cass County daycare provider charged in the death of a child in her care. According to online court records, a plea agreement was reached in the case against Alison Elaine Dorsey, with sentencing set for Feb. 26th. According to court documents, Dorsey is pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment causing death.

In her plea deal, Dorsey wrote that while she was caring for 11-week old Luka Hidges, she picked him up. She said was being fussy and wouldn’t eat, so she rocked him in her arms harder than she should have.  Dorsey said she regrets her actions unintentionally caused the infant’s death. The charges she will plead guilty to carry maximums of five years and two years in prison, respectively.

Dorsey’s trial was previously set to take place Feb. 24th in Cass County District Court. It was to have been her third trial. The first in Atlantic ended ended in a hung jury/mistrial. The second, held June, 2023 in Pottawattamie County, resulted in a conviction for second-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death, but the verdict was overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court because they said, it was improperly moved from Cass to Pott. County. It was reset and scheduled to take place in Atlantic

Dorsey, who ran a daycare center in Massena, will appear before a judge at 9:30-a.m., Feb. 26th to enter her plea and receive her sentence.