Former babysitter pleads guilty after child kidnapped, head shaved

ROWLEY, Mass. — A former babysitter accused of kidnapping a toddler and leaving her in a pile of leaves pleaded guilty to all charges Friday.

Nearly a year ago, Lyndon Albers was found with her head shaved sitting in a pile of leaves in Ipswich. Police said Abigail Hanna, her former babysitter, kidnapped the toddler from her parents home in Rowley.

Then 21-year-old Hanna was arrested shortly after. Her lawyers said that Hanna was suffering from mental illness, including hallucinations and suicide.

Prosecutors say Hanna, of Topsfield, had babysat the 2-year-old girl before her parents fired her for being unreliable. Hanna acknowledged taking the girl in the middle of the night from her home in Hamilton last November.

The child was found several hours later in Rowley by the side of the road, naked, with a shaved head and abrasions and burn marks on her body.

In court Friday, Hanna pleaded guilty to breaking and entering in the nighttime for a felony, kidnapping, assault & battery on a child causing bodily harm and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a child under 14.

She was sentenced to 5 to 7 years in state prison followed by 10 years of probation.  The Commonwealth requested 10 to 15 years in state prison followed by 10 years of probation.

Cox Media Group