Delaware v. Grossberg and Peterson Grossberg Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter Text of Amy Grossberg's Plea Agreement (April 22) Amy Grossberg, one of the two New Jersey teens accused of killing her Amy Grossberg: Pled guilty to manslaughter in the death of her infant baby. newborn in a Delaware motel and throwing him in a dumpster, pled guilty to reduced charges of manslaughter today. Grossberg, who was scheduled to go on trial May 5 for second-degree murder in the death of the infant, reportedly agreed to the plea after her attorneys learned in detail what her former high school sweetheart, Brian Peterson, would say against her at her trial next month. Last month Peterson also pleaded guilty to manslaughter and agreed to testify against Grossberg. Grossberg reportedly entered the courtroom sobbing, clutching her parents and her lawyer. In court, she acknowledged tearfully that the she unintentionally caused the death of her baby when she gave birth quietly in a Delaware motel in November 1996. Grossberg described the moments that led to the infant's death as events that "spun out of control." As part of plea agreement and Delaware's sentencing guidelines, Grossberg could be sentenced to two-and-half years in prison. Grossberg's plea bargain is the final chapter in an emotionally-charged case that Brian Peterson: Grossberg's former boyfriend who pled guilty to manslaughter and was expected to testify against her at her trial. saw angry protesters nearly charge Grossberg and Peterson when they were first indicted for their baby's murder in December 1996. The teen-agers first claimed the baby was stillborn, but an autopsy showed that he suffered various fatal head fractures. At first, it seemed like Grossberg and Peterson would remain united in their defense against the murder charges. But then they began to blame each other for the infant's death. Grossberg acknowledged giving birth to the baby, but said that she did not participate in disposing the infant. She said that Peterson acted alone in throwing the child in the dumpster. However, Grossberg denied that she and Peterson had ever planned to kill their baby. During last month's plea agreement, Peterson admitted disposing of the baby. Peterson's lawyers said that he and Grossberg panicked when she gave birth and experienced complications. Peterson claimed that he thought the infant was born dead and insisted that his girlfriend begged him to "Get rid of it!" Peterson's lawyers said that he regretted not seeking medical help for the baby and not getting medical confirmation that he was stillborn. Early in the case, prosecutors considered charging Grossberg and Peterson with first-degree murder and seeking the death penalty. But after Peterson's plea bargain, prosecutors then decided to seek lesser charges of second-degree murder and murder by abuse or neglect against Grossberg. They believed that it would be easier to convict Grossberg on those charges because Peterson's statements did not show that Grossberg planned to kill the baby. In Delaware, the maximum punishment for second-degree murder is 20 years in prison, while the penalty for murder by neglect or abuse ranges from 15 years to life imprisonment. Brian Peterson has yet to be formally sentenced for his manslaughter plea. Amy Grossberg's sentencing will take place on July 9. Although the maximum sentence for manslaughter in Delaware is 10 years in prison, it seems unlikely that Peterson will receive the maximum punishment. Brian Peterson's Plea Agreement The Sentencing of Grossberg and Peterson Top of page