Attorney for Anniston mother arrested in sons death speaks out

Katherine Papke

An attorney representing an Anniston woman accused of leaving her 4-month-old son in a parked car said Tuesday that his client is devastated by the boy's death and isn't a criminal. Jim Sturdivant says that Katherine Papke, went to drop off her two daughters at school on Friday and worked through lunch before realizing she didn't drop her son, Bennett, off at daycare. Papke, who serves in the Alabama National Guard, checked the car and called 911 once she saw her son, nicknamed "Bo" inside. The boy was later pronounced dead. Sturdivant said that Papke had recently returned from maternity leave and was in the process of creating a daily routine. As part of an effort to lose weight after giving birth, Papke usually walked her daughters to school before walking her son to daycare, Sturdivant said. However, the girls were running late Friday and Papke instead loaded the children into her minivan and drove her daughters to school. The attorney said the woman believed in her mind that she had dropped off Bo at the daycare until she realized the horrible reality that she had not dropped him off. Papke was charged with manslaughter and leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle. The second charge is the result of a state law that took effect Aug. 1. Sturdivant said he will likely file a motion to dismiss the second charge because he believes it applied only to childcare employees, or someone who is hired to look after a child.