According to the court documents, the defendant, later identified as 40-year-old Jessica, was sentenced to life in prison after her twin stepdaughters suffered extreme and severe t0rture before one of the 6-year-old girls succumbed to her injuries. Prosecutors said the defendant was convicted of injury to a child intentionally causing serious bodily injury in the child’s death.
On Oct. 27, 2020, the 911 caller told the dispatcher that the 6-year-old child, Arianna, was not breathing. First responders reportedly found the girl lying on the floor with a sheet draped over her body. Unfortunately, she was pronounced dead at the scene. During and interview with investigators, the girl’s stepmother reportedly said that the girl fell down the stairs a few hours earlier and was sent to bed.
When she went in to check on the girl a little while later, the stepmother said Arianna was not breathing. When officers saw the victim’s body, they reportedly noticed that the child suffered multiple injuries, including bruises and marks. In a follow-up interview, the victim’s stepmom reportedly told investigators that she hit the child with belt several times as punishment for wetting the bed.
According to the court documents, prosecutors claim that the stepmother also used a wooden paddle to beat the victim and her twin sister, who was not identified due to her age. Medical experts told authorities that the 6-year-old girl was beaten to death and her death was slow and painful. The girl’s dad is awaiting trial on the same charges.
