PORTLAND, Ind. — A mother, who was found guilty of killing her son in 2022, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Chelsea Crossland, 27, was convicted of charges of murder and neglect of a dependent in July in relation to the death of her son, Christian Crossland. 

According to Indiana State Police, officers were dispatched to the 600 block of S. Western Avenue in Portland on March 24, 2022, at approximately 11:30 p.m., on a call of an unresponsive 5-year-old. The child was declared deceased, leading to an investigation into his death.

The probable cause detailed that the child’s cause of death was a result of “complications from blunt force trauma to his head and oral cavity.” The document added that the 5-year-old boy was “emaciated, had numerous abrasions, was malnourished and dehydrated.”

Investigators also explained Crossland beat, spanked, and choked her son at times, stating she called the acts “punishment.”

Crossland was also facing a separate charge of child molestation. That count was dismissed.