La Crosse woman pleads no contest to child’s apparent drug-related death, faces possible prison term

A 34-year-old La Crosse woman, accused of causing her 15-month-old child’s death through neglect, has been convicted on a lesser charge.

Brittany Basley reached a plea agreement in court, pleading no contest to child neglect, leading to great bodily harm. She had faced a charge of child neglect leading to death. Basley will now avoid a jury trial that had been scheduled for this June.

Investigators believe the child died from exposure to the drug fentanyl in the household. The death occurred in September of 2023.

Basley could be sent to prison for up to 7-and-a-half years, followed by 5 years on supervision, when she’s sentenced on July 25th. The victim’s father, Lavon Liggins, also was charged with child neglect, and he’s still scheduled for a trial this summer.