Foster mother enters no-contest plea in fatal beating of child

ANCHORAGE (AP) -- Sentencing has been set for November in the case of a former foster mother who pleaded no contest to manslaughter in killing one of her emotionally disabled children.

Melissa Falgoust, 34, was charged with manslaughter in March -- accused of killing her 10-year-old foster son, Steven Murray.

Murray died from severe brain trauma in July of last year. The injuries initially were reported to be self-inflicted.

But police charged Falgoust with manslaughter eight months later, after her other foster children said she threw Murray headfirst onto the floor.

Murray had been placed in the Falgoust home in June 1998. It was his 11th foster home. He had been removed from his parents' care when the state Division of Family and Youth Services found he was at risk there because of incidents related to alcohol and domestic violence.

The two surviving children were removed from Falgoust's home after Murray's death, as well as her own child, prosecutors said.

In a plea agreement with the Anchorage district attorney's office, Falgoust could get as many as 10 years in prison, twice the usual term for manslaughter.