By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, Mo. – A suburban St. Louis nurse was sentened to five years of probation in the death of a dying woman, a killing her attorney
claims was an act of mercy.
Daillyn Pavia of Granite City, Illinois, was originally charged with first-degree murder. She pleaded guilty today of voluntary manslaughter in a deal with
prosecutors.
Julia Dawson was being treated at Saint Louis University Hospital in 2001 after suffering a stroke. As her condition
worsened, the 86-year-old woman was placed on life-support.
Court documents indicate Pavia gave Dawson more than 15 times the maximum dosage of morphine that had been prescribed, and also
administered a sedative for which no prescription had been ordered.
Dawson's son believes Pavia acted out of compassion.