SALISBURY — A Salisbury woman has pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 death of her 2-month-old son.
Latoyia Niccole Myers, 26, will spend no more time behind bars, however. She received a sentence of 16-20 months and credit for the time she’s spent in the Rowan County jail since February of 2009. She faced up to 104 months in prison, court officials said.
Myers, who was originally charged with second-degree murder, pleaded guilty today in Rowan County Superior Court. She also pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and possession of a controlled substance on jail premises.
Police found Jyhiem Adam Bacon unresponsive in a local motel room after Myers called 911 on Feb. 14, 2009. Emergency medical responders tried to revive the infant, but he was already dead.
Authorities said at the time that a preliminary autopsy determined the child suffocated. Barrett Poppler, an assistant district attorney, said today that a final autopsy found the cause of death to be “undetermined.” An expert witness for the defense said the death was consistent with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and the prosecutor said those were “critical factors in the decision in this case.”
Investigators found marijuana and cocaine in the motel room and initially charged Myers with drug offenses. A few days later, authorities charged her with second-degree murder in her son’s death. After taking her into custody, they discovered she had more cocaine in her possession.
It was the second time a child of Myers had died. 
On Nov. 11, 2007, authorities responding to a 911 call found 29-day-old Zy-marion Dwayne Myers dead. An autopsy determined accidental suffocation occurred as Myers and infant slept together, the baby on top of a pillow.
The report noted a child of that age face down on a pillow would not be able to raise his head.