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Shawnee woman pleads guilty in house fire that killed infant

Karlie Phelps mug.jpg
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Karlie Mae Phelps, 28, pleaded guilty at a hearing Thursday regarding a Shawnee house fire that resulted in the death of an infant.

Phelps faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and endangering a child.

She was a resident of the Shawnee home but was not at the residence at the time of the fire, later admitting to leaving the infant alone.

The Shawnee Fire Department determined the fire was intentionally set, although no ignitable liquids were found in debris by the Johnson County Criminalistics Laboratory.

Court documents state officers heard Phelps say, “I lit it, no I know I put it out. That would be an accident,” after arriving at the scene. She blamed Nicholas Ecker, the child’s father, for the fire.

Phelps is set to be sentenced at 9 a.m. on Oct. 6.