A Colorado mother, Anna Englund, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the death of her 2-month-old son, Miles Basellio, in 2023. Boulder County District Attorney’s Office announced the sentence following his guilty plea on August 7. As part of the plea agreement, the first-degree murder charges were dropped.
“This guilty plea and lengthy sentence are the right outcome in this very sad case,” District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a news release. “It is heartbreaking to acknowledge the immense emotional toll that the baby’s father and family have endured, as well as all of the police officers who desperately tried to prevent this tragic murder.”
The tragic events occurred on June 10, 2023, when authorities were called to conduct a welfare check on Englund, who was reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis. Miles’ father had expressed concerns about Englund’s mental state and his behavior toward his infant son. While the father briefly left the room, Englund took the baby and left the home. He drove to a secluded location and strangled the child, according to the statement.
An affidavit obtained by The Denver Post Englund revealed that she later confessed to killing her son because she “didn’t want him to suffer in life like I did.” She reportedly told authorities that she was worried about the dangers Miles could face in a “crazy” world.
As soon as authorities were alerted to the disappearance of the mother and child, an attempted location alert was issued to nearby law enforcement agencies. Englund drove around with her deceased son for several hours as law enforcement searched for them. About six hours after the initial welfare check call, Englund was found at a hospital with Miles, who was already deceased. Englund later confessed to police that she had been looking for a place to commit suicide.
Before the tragic incident, Englund had been hospitalized twice for suicidal ideation, according to court records cited by 9 NBC News. Miles’ father mentioned that during both visits, Englund had received treatment at Boulder Community Health but was discharged after just a few days. Although she had been prescribed medication, Englund allegedly took it only once, claiming it made her feel more suicidal, leading her to refuse further doses.
Despite her documented mental health issues, a judge ruled Englund fit to stand trial last November. However, she ultimately accepted a plea deal, which resulted in a 40-year sentence. GoFundMe Page It was previously created to raise funds for Miles’ funeral.
If you suspect child abuse, you can contact Childhelp’s National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.orgThe hotline is confidential, free and available 24/7 in over 170 languages.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide Crisis Hotline by dialing 988 or texting “FUERZA” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or by going to 988lifeline.org.
