Mankato woman sentenced to 7.5 years in child’s death

A Mankato woman was sentenced Tuesday to over seven years (90 months) in jail for the death of her child.

Chelsea Rae Olinger, 28, was given credit for 461 days already served. The remainder of her sentence will be served at the Shakopee Correctional Facility. She’d previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Olinger was charged after she brought her unresponsive 16-month-old child to a hospital last year. The child also had bruises, rib fractures, broken vertebrae and a lacerated liver. Tests indicated the boy had no brain activity, and he was pronounced dead on Feb. 12, 2020.

Olinger told investigators the toddler fell down a flight of stairs. Officials said she also told investigators she might have hit her child’s head on the side of a crib and that she put her hand over the child’s month in an attempt to get the toddler to stop crying.