Mother Pleads to Lesser Charges
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Mother Pleads to Lesser Charges

The Lansdowne mother charged with two counts of attempted capital murder after allegedly attempting to drown her children back in April accepted a plea agreement Aug. 25.

Sean Morgan, assistant Commonwealth's Attorney, said according to the plea that was reached, Isabel Sherr pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse. The agreement was made, in part, due to Sherr's mental health.

"She wasn't found incompetent to stand trial," Morgan said. "But there were a number of reasons to accept the plea."

Among them, he said, was the indication from her attorney that he would be using an insanity defense, the lack of permanent, physical injury to the children and no evidence of previous abuse.

"As horrendous as this was, it appears to be an isolated incident," Morgan said.

Sherr will be sentenced in November, at which time it will be up to the judge to determine if Sherr will be sent to prison or a mental-health facility, said Morgan. The maximum sentence she faces is 15 years.

On April 21, neighbors found Sherr in the backyard of her Red House Drive home bloody and upset after falling two floors from an upstairs window. At the time, she reportedly told neighbors that she drowned her children.

A deputy would find the two children, then 19 months and 4 years old, in the bathtub. The tub was empty, but there was reportedly water all over the floor. Morgan said Sherr had emptied the tub.

Sherr's husband, Daniel Sherr, a patent attorney, was out of the country on business at the time. He has custody of the children, said Morgan.

Sherr's attorney, Alex Levay, was unable to be reached.