Heather O'Neill
MERRILL, WI (WSAU) — A Merrill woman facing charges for trying to kill her autistic son has pleaded no contest to child neglect.
Heather O’Neill admitted to giving the boy multiple medications in an attempt to force an overdose in 2023. The 55-year-old said she “snapped” following a violent outburst from the boy, adding that he would become physical if he didn’t get his way.
O’Neill reportedly told officers she “wanted this to be over for both of us.” Investigators also found a suicide note which read “He has been such a miserable burden to me… Never will this end. Never will I be able to live that happy, peaceful life that I have needed.”
The boy suffered a seizure at the hospital but survived.
She had been facing charges for attempted homicide and had pleaded not guilty due to mental disease or defect. Court records show she entered a no contest plea to felony child neglect last Friday and was given an imposed and stayed prison sentence.
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Should O’Neill complete 9.5 years of probation, she will not serve the prison time. Terms of her probation include a formal letter of apology to the victim and a complete mental health evaluation.
She will also have a no-contact order with the victim and the victim’s father without prior consent. She will also have strict orders not to serve in a parental, legal guardian, or supervisory role for any minor child or any at-risk adult.
O’Neill was credited with just over three years of jail time while awaiting trial. One count of resisting an officer was dismissed but read into the record as part of the plea deal.
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