Slain Whitpain teen’s mom faces endangerment charge
The mother of a slain Whitpain Township teen turned herself in this morning on child endangerment and drug charges.
The mother of a slain Whitpain Township teen turned herself in this morning on child endangerment and drug charges.
Danielle Cattie, the mother of Ebony Dorsey, faces a felony charge of endangering the welfare of children, and two misdemeanor cocaine-related charges: possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.
Cattie arrived at the district court of John S. Murray III in Blue Bell at about 8:40 a.m. She was unaccompanied by any of her many friends and relatives.
The charges, which she learned of yesterday, stem from the interview she gave to police when she was trying to help them find her missing daughter, Ebony.
The most serious charge is child endangerment, a felony that carries a maximum of 21/2 to 5 years in prison.
The maximums for the two misdemeanor drug charges range from 1 to 3 years.
Prosecutors said they will review Cattie's history.
Her prior drug conviction, however, could trigger a mandatory minimum sentence of up to five years in prison.
She was released on $10,000 unsecured bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 28 at 9 a.m.
Police allege that Mark P. O'Donnell, 48, of Plymouth Township, beat, sexually assaulted and strangled Dorsey on Dec. 7 while she babysat his 4-year-old daughter. Dorsey was last seen alive the night of Dec. 6, when O'Donnell drove her to his home to babysit.
He spent the night with Dorsey's mother, who told authorities that O'Donnell had been "wired" on crack cocaine when he left her West Ambler home about 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 6. According to court papers, he returned to his home to find Dorsey changing the toddler's diaper and strangled the teen with her pajama bottoms. At his preliminary hearing, O'Donnell said he had killed the girl because she had molested his daughter.
Philadelphia police are looking at O'Donnell in connection with the triple murder of a family in 2006. He worked as a private-duty nurse in the family's home at the time, law enforcement sources have said.