Inmate Name: Peggy Hilt
Charge: Murder in the Second Degree
Sentence: 35 years
Prison: Fluvanna Correctional Center in Virginia

Peggy Hilt was born in Ogdensburg, New York in 1972 and grew up in a large family with five brothers and sisters. She says her father suffered from alcoholism causing him to be verbally abusive at times. Despite her father's disease her family life was as she describes "relatively normal". Peggy struggled emotionally throughout her adolescent years and in high school suffered from depression resulting in a suicide attempt abd refusing the help offered to her. In high school Peggy spent a good amount of time babysitting for other families holding three or four full time babysitting jobs. Peggy loved children. Getting married and having a lot of children was Peggy's dream.

In college Peggy met her husband Chris Hilt and they married in 1994. The newlyweds moved to Fairfax, Virginia a year later in hopes of starting a family. Chris was a successful partner in a computer-consulting firm, working from home while Peggy worked as a dental assistant.

With no success in conceiving a child of their own, and struggling for years with fertility tests and treatments, the couple made the decision to adopt. In March of 2001 the couple independently adopted a girl named Natalyia from the Ukraine. The adoption was a huge success and for Peggy and Chris the new addition to their family was a dream come true. Peggy says that motherhood was better than she could have imagined it would be and had no problems bonding with her new daughter. The Hilts were a happy, young family.

With the success of their first adoption, three years later the Hilts decided to adopt again. Due to changes in the Ukraine adoption process, they chose to adopt from Russia. In January 2004, the Hilt's adopted 16-month old Nina. Peggy claims that soon after they brought Nina home, she sensed something was wrong. Nina's emotional difficulties surfaced right away and when Peggy would try to hold her, she was defiant. Peggy says she struggled to bond with Nina and became overwhelmed. As a result, Peggy's drinking increased. She did not receive any professional help for the drinking or for the issues she was having with Nina.

On the morning of July 1, 2005 while Chris was at work, things went terribly wrong in the Hilt home. Peggy claims Nina?s behavioral issues were extreme that morning causing Peggy to snap. She took Nina to her room where she beat her. According to police records Peggy confessed to beating, kicking, and stepping on the two year old. Later that day the family left on a trip to visit relatives in Manassas, Virginia. During the drive Nina vomited a couple times and her health declined. The next day, Peggy stayed with sick Nina while family and friends went on an outing. While Peggy was rocking her, Nina stopped breathing. Peggy called 911 in a panic. Nina was rushed to Prince William Hospital where later that day she was pronounced dead. The autopsy determined that Nina death was the result of blunt force trauma to the abdomen.

Peggy realized that the beating was the cause of Nina?s death and on July 6 she confessed to the murder of her two year-old daughter. In a forty-two page statement to police Peggy details how she beat her daughter explaining how frustrated and overwhelmed she was as a mother unable to bond with her daughter. The next day Peggy Hilt was charged with murder.

Early in the following year on March 1, 2006 Peggy plead guilty to second-degree murder consequently avoiding a charge of first-degree murder. She is currently serving her sentence at the Fluvanna Correctional Center in Virginia and her projected release date is set for January 10, 2022. Peggy is deeply remorseful for the death of her daughter and hopes participating in this program will help others.