Edgewood mother sentenced as negligent parent

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), May 23, 2008

A 23-year-old Edgewood woman has been ordered to serve 18 months in jail for a negligent parenting conviction stemming from the death of her 5-week-old son. Terri Rust was sentenced Wednesday for her April conviction. A jury acquitted her of more serious charges, including child abuse causing death.

Rust maintained during the trial that she was innocent. Prosecutors had alleged that Rust was responsible for the death of the baby, Calob Martin, because she failed to seek medical attention for him after his father punched him in the head in November 2006. The father, 26-year-old Billy Martin of Conowingo, was sentenced in March to 25 years in prison. Charges against the baby's grandparents were placed on the inactive docket this month.