EATON — Heidi Matheny will serve 15 years to life in prison for the murder of her grandmother last November.
Preble County Common Pleas Judge Steve Bruns sentenced Matheny on Wednesday, March 15.
Matheny, 35, had confessed to drowning her grandmother and eventually pleaded “guilty” after being found competent to stand trial earlier this year.
She was indicted in December for the murder of 93-year-old Alice Matheny on Tuesday, Nov. 15. According to an Eaton Police report, Matheny confessed to the crime, and stated she first “held her head in the sink” and then “she started blowing bubbles so she put her in the bathtub until she stopped.”
A sentencing memorandum from Matheny’s attorney, Gractia Hubler noted the “only sentencing option available to the court in this case is an indefinite term of 15 years to life. She has served 121 days as of March 15. Ms. Matheny has no criminal history as an adult, save one disorderly conduct conviction (stemming from an incident involving her mother who also apparently suffers from mental illness.)”
Hubler continued, “Ms. Matheny has been ready and willing to take responsibility for her actions since the night of this incident. She was the one who reported the crime to law enforcement and confessed to having been the perpetrator. Ms. Matheny has a long history of mental illness and instability. She confessed to law enforcement she just ‘snapped’ under the pressure of trying to help care for the victim, who she described as the perfect grandmother. Ms. Matheny had an increasingly difficult time listening to her grandmother lament about the stress caused by the family arguing over financial issues and other concerns. It appears this pressure/stress felt by Ms. Matheny when listening to these things, coupled with her mental illness(es) resulted in the unthinkable. Ms. Matheny has expressed nothing by remorse for her actions since the outset of this case.”
Hubler went on to note Matheny’s request the court sentence her to the “only option available.”
Matheny remained in custody at the Preble County Jail at press time.
Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on Twitter @emowenjr.
