A 60-year-old South Dakota woman was granted parole Thursday after serving two months in prison for the 1981 death of her infant son — a loss she kept secret for decades.
The South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles was closely divided as it weighed the parole request from Theresa Bentaas, who entered an Alford plea to a first-degree manslaughter charge in October. The plea means she maintained her innocence but admitted that evidence could persuade a judge or jury of her guilt.
