Woman sentenced to 20 years for murder

WESTFIELD, Ill. (WTHI) - An Illinois woman was sentenced for killing her newborn baby on Thursday

Cayla Wheeler, 24, received 20 years for murder and another five years for arson to be served consectutively.

Last July, Wheeler gave birth to a baby boy. She later drowned the baby and dumped him in the woods outside the house. Somewhere in that time she also set her house on fire.

Eighteen months prior to the incident, Wheeler also gave birth to a still born baby.

In court Thursday afternoon, her attorney had a psychiatrist testify who examined Wheeler after the murder. He said she had a major depressive disorder and a personality disorder. He said it was not severe enough to know right from wrong.

The special prosecutor brought in for this case asked for 35 years.

"I've prosecuted a number of murder cases. Most of them the state usually comes away with the feel of that was really good, we won. I guess this case is so perplexing and so perplexing and so inexplicable. I don't think anybody wins," prosecutor Ed Parkinson said.

If Wheeler serves her full sentence, she will be released at age 45.