Phoenix woman sentenced to 10 years for manslaughter in son’s death

PHOENIX — The woman who claimed her 2-year-old son fatally shot her 9-year-old son in 2017 was sentenced to 10 ½ years in prison Thursday.

Wendy Lavarnia agreed to a plea deal last month that called for her to serve 10 to 16 years in prison for manslaughter and attempt to commit child abuse.

She has acknowledged she caused her son Landen’s death at their home near 35th Avenue and Cactus Road by recklessly leaving the gun out where the toddler could grab it.

The children’s father, Kansas Lavarnia, was accused of child abuse and hindering prosecution. He killed himself in prison last year.

In the months after the killing, police expressed skepticism about Wendy’s account of the shooting and said they were having a tough time determining who shot the child.

Court documents said officers found extensive blood residue in several areas of the home and a car owned by the family.

The documents also said Kansas Lavarnia had suffered a gunshot wound that appeared to have been punctured multiple times – possibly with a screwdriver – to camouflage the injury and was bandaged with tissue and packing tape.

He claimed to be out shopping when the shooting happened and returned home after police arrived.

Police accused the couple of delaying medical care for their son to clean up evidence in the house, noting that a lack of visible blood implied a long time had passed before they called authorities.

Police said at the time that they had also found drugs inside the house.

Maricopa County Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Amanda Steele said prosecutors still can’t determine who fired the gun 2 ½ years after the killing.

Wendy Lavarnia had told police that she put her loaded gun on a bed at her house within reach of her children and then turned away to get something. She denied firing the gun.

“I got my gun down and left it on the bed like an idiot,” she told an operator during a 911 call. “And my son – I didn’t think he could fire it, and he shot it.”

Wendy Lavarnia’s plea deal reduced her murder charge to manslaughter and one of her child abuse charges to attempted child abuse. Her remaining counts will be dismissed at sentencing.

In a memo to the judge, her attorney, Clare Schum, said Lavarnia acted out of character and that the child’s death occurred during a momentary lapse of judgment.

The Lavarnias’ other three children were placed in foster care after the incident. A report attached to the memo said Lavarnia wants to re-establish a relationship with her children and their adoptive parents once she’s released from prison.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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