Chelsea Cooley: Pleads guilty to murdering toddler in her care

A woman charged with the murder of a toddler in her care has pleaded guilty to three felony charges in relation to the child’s death, the Bedford Gazette reports.

Chelsea Cooley, a 33-year-old woman from Everett, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged on May 31, 2022, two days after police responded to her 911 call in which she told them that 3-year-old Travis Young Jr was choking on baby wipes, according to a report from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP).

Four other charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement, the Gazette notes. When the plea was accepted, Cooley’s lawyer requested on her behalf that she leave the court room while victim impact statements were read. Judge Travis Livengood refused.

“She’s going to stay there,” he said.

Travis Young Sr was the first to have his statement read by prosecutors. Young and Cooley lived together at the time of the death of Junior, as the little boy was known, the Gazette says.

“How could you betray my boy’s trust? How is it right you destroyed my life?” Young wrote, adding that he could never forgive Cooley for her actions.

“The worse is slowly forgetting the sound of his voice. I hope he haunts you every single second of your life,” Young added.

Junior’s mother, Rachel Reuter, said she forgave Cooley, but the impact of Junior’s death had a ripple effect on both his parents and siblings.