Moore Drops Charges Aberdeen Child Abuse Case

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) – Charges against an Aberdeen woman accused of child abuse have been dropped because prosecutors are concerned about evidence in the case.  Forty-year-old Wendy Mette had pleaded not guilty to 11 counts abuse or neglect of a child.   Beadle County state’s attorney Michael Moore, acting as special prosecutor in the case, says the charges against Mette were brought in 2011 after three people who are now the subjects of a witness tampering investigation got involved in the abuse case. Moore says their involvement taints the case against Mette and would make it difficult to get a conviction.  Mette’s lawyer, Reed Rasmussen, says Mette is pleased with Moore’s decision to drop the charges.  In late March, Moore reached a plea deal with Mette’s husband, Richard in the same case. Richard Mette was facing 23 charges including rape.  Because of the evidence tampering, Moore only charged him with six of the 23 counts and Mette pleaded to only one of them.  He could be sentenced on the single count to life in prison.