Thurgood Marshall graduation 2012
Badin vs. Versailles
Law Enforcement Memorial Day
Home > Blogs > Dayton Courts: Legal and crime news > Archives > 2010 > March > 11 > Entry
Mother whose daughter died from abuse sentenced to prison
DAYTON — A woman convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the 2004 beating death of her 2-year-old daughter was sentenced Thursday, March 11, to 10 years in prison, the maximum sentence.
Lisa M. Davis, 25, pleaded guilty on Feb. 12. Her daughter Elizabeth died Aug. 14, 2004 from a severe blow to the abdomen.
Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Dennis J. Langer noted that Davis’ conviction was not for hitting her daughter, though some people believe she may have caused the fatal injuries. Instead, Davis was convicted of involuntary manslaughter as a “proximate result” of committing child endangerment by allowing her daughter to be hurt and not seeking medical attention for the girl.
It took 8 to 24 hours for the girl to bleed to death internally after someone struck her abdomen hard enough to split open her liver and nearly sever her small intestine, according to the autopsy report obtained in a 2006 Dayton Daily News examination.
That did not mean Davis had not been “a horribly abusive mother,” Langer said. On occasion, Davis would slam the girl’s head against the wall.
The girl was covered with bruises across her body, including on her temple and chin, Langer said.
Davis wept as she told Langer that “I’ve taken responsibility for not being the mother I should have been. I live every single day with the fact that I did not protect my child as a mother should.”
Following the sentencing, county Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck, Jr. said that while there was insufficient evidence to charge Davis with striking the fatal blow, there was overwhelming evidence that Davis had abused the child repeatedly during the girl’s life. He also praised Miamisburg police for their diligent investigation over a five-year period.
“These cases take time,” Heck said. “Justice was served today.”
Davis lived in Moraine when she was indicted in February 2009 on one count of involuntary manslaughter, one count of endangering children and two counts of corrupting the child with drugs. The drug counts were for allegedly providing marijuana to the girl.
She remained in the Montgomery County Jail since her arrest. In the plea agreement, all charges but involuntary manslaughter were dismissed.
Permalink | |
