Pet python strangles 2-year-old girl to death

A couple has been convicted in the death of a toddler strangled in her crib by a pet python.

A jury found 21-year-old mother Jaren Hare and her live-in boyfriend, 34-year-old Charles "Jason" Darnell, guilty Thursday of manslaughter, third-degree murder and child neglect. They each face 35 years in prison. Both previously rejected plea agreements for 10 years in prison. The couple is based in central Florida.

Authorities say an 8-foot (2.44-meter) -6-inch (15.24-centimeter) albino Burmese python wrapped itself around 2-year-old Shianna Hare's head on July 1, 2009. Testimony revealed the snake had not been fed for a month before the attack.

Defense attorneys argued that the death was an accident, and there was no way to know that the tame pet would kill a child.