Lake Charles, Louisiana – A Lake Charles woman has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of a three-month-old infant who was in her care, according to the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office.
On November 20, Shirley L. Sawyer-Johnson, 41, of Lake Charles, entered a guilty plea to one count of manslaughter during her ongoing trial. Prosecutors said the charge stems from a fatal beating that occurred in January 2025, when the infant was under her supervision.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2026, before Judge Michael Canaday. Sawyer-Johnson is being held without bond while she awaits that hearing.
Under Louisiana law, the manslaughter conviction carries a sentencing range of 10 to 40 years in prison. Any final sentence within that range will be decided by the judge at the January hearing.
Chief of Litigation Charles Robinson and Assistant District Attorney David Guidry prosecuted the case for the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office.
The case remains pending for sentencing, and Sawyer-Johnson will remain in custody in Calcasieu Parish until she appears before the court in 2026.