Pa. woman's starvation killing appeal set for December

WASHINGTON, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania woman awaiting the death penalty for starving her 7-year-old daughter in 1998 will have an appeal hearing next month.

But Washington County Judge Paul Pozonsky must first decide whether to recuse himself before the Dec. 14 hearing.

That’s because attorneys for 40-year-old Michelle Tharp don’t think the judge can be fair. Among other things, they note the judge played a sad country western song about an abused child moments before he imposed the death penalty in November 2000.

Tharp killed Tausha Lee Lanham, who weighed less than 12 pounds at death.

Authorities say the child’s body was dumped in West Virginia by Tharp and her boyfriend, who is serving a 15- to 30-year sentence. The couple then pretended the girl was abducted at an Ohio shopping mall.