An Adams couple was sentenced to three to five years in prison Thursday after they were convicted of manslaughter in connection with the death of their 10-month-old foster child. “No sentence can undo the loss of this child. This was an avoidable and deeply tragic case,” Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington said in a press release. “The Commonwealth is pleased the defendants were sentenced to prison for their reckless conduct that resulted in the death of a ten-month-old baby.” Matthew Tucker and Cassandra Barlow-Tucker will serve staggered prison and probation terms for involuntary manslaughter and reckless child endangerment, the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office said in the press release. They were convicted March 16 in Berkshire County Superior Court. The foster child died while in the couple’s custody in February 2020 after they ignored “clear and obvious signs” that he needed medical treatment, according to the DA’s office. Due to this neglect, he died from complications of a strep infection, bronchopneumonia, and empyema, all of which are “routinely treatable with timely medical care.” The court staggered the couple’s sentences because they currently have four other children. Barlow-Tucker will serve her prison term first, and after she is released, Tucker will begin his own sentence, prosecutors said. Before Tucker is sent to prison, he will serve five years of probation, and, after Barlow-Tucker is released, she will serve three years of probation, according to the DA’s office. Both of them are prohibited from becoming foster parents again or serving in “any caregiving roles involving children” other than their own. A Superior Court judge initially dismissed the charges due to a lack of sufficient evidence, court records show. In 2024, the state’s Supreme Judicial Court determined that the judge had “erred” by incorrectly applying legal precedent in his decision. Though the circumstances of the case took place in Berkshire County, the Northwestern DA’s office was brought in to prosecute because of a “conflict of interest” for the Berkshire DA’s office, according to prosecutors. “We thank the jury for its careful deliberations,” Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Jimenez said in the release. “This was a difficult case, and their verdicts hold the defendants accountable.” Neither Tucker’s attorney, Jill Sheldon, nor Barlow-Tucker’s attorney, Timothy Flynn, returned requests for comment Thursday night.
https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2026/04/02/mass-couple-sentenced-to-prison-for-manslaughter-in-death-of-infant-foster-child/