Bond reduced to $10,000 for woman accused in baby’s death

Judge Leon Stenz of Forest County has reduced bond in the case of a Rhinelander woman accused in the death of her infant. According to online court records, Stenz modified Geana L. Terry’s bond from $100,000 to $10,000 following a hearing on Dec. 26.

According to the criminal complaint, the recent disclosure of new information prompted the Oneida County district attorney’s office to charge Terry with a single county of reckless homicide more than four years after the death of her child.

The complaint, which was filed in mid-October, states an individual who was in the residence on the day the infant died recently disclosed to a trusted person that they had witnessed the infant being suffocated. 

After the trusted person reported the conversation to police, the witness corroborated the information and advised that they had been threatened to keep silent regarding what they had witnessed.

According to the complaint, Terry has denied harming her child.

On Nov. 11, Terry filed a handwritten motion for bond modification.

“This is my first time ever being arrested and I’m unfamiliar with the system,” she wrote to Stenz, noting that she is a resident of the Rhinelander community “and not a flight risk”.

“I’m at your mercy, Your Honor, when I humbly ask for leniency in this matter,” she added, noting that she has lost her job as a result of the arrest. 

In her motion, Terry stated she intends to find work to pay for an attorney “to fight this case with me.”

“I will absolutely make it to all court dates,” the motion concludes.

The original $100,000 cash bond was set by Judge Mary Sowinski who has since recused herself from the case due to her prior role as an assistant district attorney. 

During the Dec. 26 hearing, it was noted that the office of the public defender is continuing to search for an attorney to represent Terry. 

If she is able to post the $10,000, conditions of bond include no contact with minors and strict adherence to all orders issued by the Department of Social Services.

Terry’s next court appearance will be scheduled at a later date.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison.

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].