A babysitter's departure to Mexico led authorities Monday to drop a murder charge against a Burnsville mother suspected of killing her 15-month-old daughter nearly two years ago.

Rachel Marie Reeves, 30, was to go on trial Monday in Hennepin County District Court for the death of Julia Leigh Rivera in March 2009. Instead, prosecutors dropped the second-degree murder charge against her because "the attendance of a critical witness cannot be secured," according to the dismissal document signed Monday by Judge Gina Brandt.

That witness, the child's babysitter, apparently has been in Mexico since July. If she returns, prosecutors can refile the charge against Reeves.

Defense lawyer Diane Dodd said the case has been a "nightmare for Rachel. ... She's relieved it has been dismissed."

Reeves, who appeared briefly in court, posted the $250,000 bond shortly after her arrest and is not in custody.

On March 26, 2009, Reeves brought her daughter to the sitter's Minnetonka apartment and put the child, still wearing her snowsuit, in a crib. She told the sitter to leave the girl alone. If the toddler awoke, Reeves told the sitter to give her medication that she had put in the refrigerator.

Dml -, Star Tribune
Rachel Marie Reeves

Fifteen minutes later, the sitter pulled off the child's snowsuit and saw her eyes "had a blank look," the sitter told police. She was "extremely pale and just with her eyes very empty ... like she was on another planet." The sitter said she was worried about the baby and tried to give her milk, but Julia arched her back and twisted, the complaint said.

The sitter, who was not identified in the criminal complaint, had her son call 911 and perform CPR on the child. The baby had no pulse and wasn't breathing when emergency responders arrived.

The child died four days later from what the medical examiner said was blunt-force trauma. Prosecutors said Reeves assaulted the child in a way that caused her skull to fracture, significantly injure her brain and detach a retina.

The child lived at the time with her mother and 7-year-old sister in a Richfield apartment.

The older sister spent the night of March 25 at a friend's house, leaving Rachel Reeves alone with Julia from 3:15 p.m. until they arrived at the sitter's at 7 a.m. the next day.

Reeves told police that Julia had been sick, irritable, fussy and pulling on her ear, so she took her to a pediatrician on March 24. The pediatrician reported the child as alert and interactive with no injuries at that time.

The mom also said her child had fallen out of bed two weeks earlier, but doctors said the 2- to 3-foot fall wouldn't explain Julia's injuries. Reeves was arrested in September 2009.

The baby's older sister said Julia often cried and woke her mother, so she would try to soothe her sister so her mother could sleep. Reeves also reportedly fell asleep in meetings at work and told her supervisor there that Julia didn't sleep well and often woke her at night.

Court documents say Reeves has been ordered to avoid contact with anyone under age 18 and could only see her other daughter by a court order.

Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747