(Tyler Murphy Photo)

NORWICH – A mother accused of helping her husband kill their adopted son pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to a max of 11 years in state prison.

Heather Franklin, 34, of Guilford pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, a class B felony, third-degree arson, a class C felony, and tampering with physical evidence, a class E felony. She was sentenced to between seven and 11 years in prison.

At the time of her plea, Franklin said the couple's adopted son had unintentionally died after she and her husband left him tied to a bed for several hours without care. She said the couple then set fire to their home to cover the death up.

In Chenango County Court on Monday, Franklin's attorney Michael E. Trosset said Franklin regretted her actions, citing the night of her adopted son's death as the worst day of her life.

Trosset said, "She is remorseful, she regrets it, and she says it was the worse day of her life."

While Franklin opted not to speak at sentencing, District Attorney Michael Ferrarese said she will have to live with what she and her husband did for the rest of their lives.