Mother may plead guilty to endangering charges

DOVER, N.H. – The mother of Kassidy Bortner, the 21-month old girl who was murdered two years ago, is considering pleading guilty to child endangerment charges.

Court documents show that Amanda Bortner, 20, may plead guilty to avoid a trial, which is scheduled for June.

Prosecutors say they are not offering her a deal.

Bortner’s boyfriend, Chad Evans, was convicted in December of second-degree murder in the toddler’s death, and was sentenced this week to at least 28 years in prison.

Bortner is charged with two misdemeanors and could spend a maximum of one year in jail on each count if convicted. Her daughter died in November 2000 at a baby-sitter’s home in Kittery, Maine. Authorities say Evans beat Kassidy to death.

In a March letter to Judge Tina Nadeau, Assistant Attorney General David Ruoff wrote that he received an indication from Bortner’s lawyer that she may “proceed with a naked plea to the two pending misdemeanor charges.”

However, in an interview with Foster’s Daily Democrat, Ruoff said the case may still go to trial.

“We don’t have any kind of deal with her at all … I’m anticipating a trial,” Ruoff said.

Bortner could not be reached for comment.

At Evans’ trial, Bortner backed away from some statements that she made to police in which she said she witnessed Evans abuse her daughter on multiple occasions.

She testified Evans did grab Kassidy’s face with enough force to leave bruises on several occasions. She also stated he would “roughly place” Kassidy in the corner and that the toddler hit her head against the door.

But Bortner said she never thought Evans’ treatment of the child hurt her.