Soldier’s wife sentenced to 14 1/2 years in prison for cutting daughters’ throats

The wife of a U.S. Army soldier has been sentenced for the gruesome throat slashing of her children just under two years ago.

On January 25, 2015, police officers in Olympia, Washington responded to a 911 call of babies that needed medical attention because they would not stop crying.

When they walked into Christina Booth’s home they found 6-month-old twin girls crying uncontrollably while bleeding from their necks and a 2-year-old girl covered in blood, lying in a bed.

After being arrested, Booth told detectives she killed the girls so the house would be quiet for her husband, who was downstairs during the assault, according to court records.

On Wednesday, Booth’s attorney and her adoptive mother defended her by telling a story of childhood trauma and subsequent battles with post traumatic stress disorder and postpartum depression, the Olympian reported.

“I hate myself very much,” Booth said during the emotional hearing. “I’m disgusted with myself, I’m not going to forgive myself.”

Booth’s attorney, Public Defender Patrick O’Connor, asked the court to consider the prior events in Booth’s life when deciding sentencing. Booth’s adoptive mother, Karla Peterson, told the court that Booth witnessed the rape and murder of her biological mother at the age of two.

Peterson claims Booth’s PTSD -stemming from childhood- came back shortly after the birth of her first daughter after marrying Thomas Booth, who deployed shortly after.

“I think she acted out of desperation that night,” Petersen said. “She became that scared little girl again.”

O’connor argued Booth’s mental illness was exacerbated by her parenting alone during her husband’s long deployments. He added that Thomas Booth was inattentive even when he was home.

He described the Booths’ relationship as “stressful and strained.”

Booth pleaded guilty in September to one count of first-degree assault of a child while armed with a deadly weapon, and two counts of second-degree assault while armed with a deadly weapon.

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Mary Sue Wilson sentenced Booth to 14 years, 6 months in prison. She will also serve 36 months of community custody upon her release, and is ordered to complete a mental health evaluation and any required treatment.

Thomas Booth maintains custody of their children. Booth was ordered to have no contact with her daughters upon her release from prison.

“Just because she wasn’t successful doesn’t negate what it was,” Deputy Prosecutor Craig Juris said.  “They’re lucky they’re alive.”

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