More than two years after the body of a newbornwas discovered under a bed in a Buffalo Township home, the child's mother pleaded no-contest to third-degree murder.

Defendant Lauren Jones, now 26, likely will face an 8- to 20-year punishment when she's sentenced April 16 by Butler County Judge Timothy McCune.

The sentence recommendation came from prosecutors Thursday in exchange for Jones' no-contest plea to three crimes:concealing the death of a child, abuse of a corpse and homicide.

Under the terms of the deal, Jones, who already has credit for two years she spent in prison awaiting trial, could be paroled in as few as 6 years.

Initially prosecutors sought a conviction of first-degree murder with the potential for a penalty of death.

But prosecutors last spring took the death penalty off the table.

A plea of no contest does not acknowledge guilt, but rather implies that Jones does not wish to fight the allegations at trial. However, at sentencing the plea will carry the same weight as a guilty plea.