from floridatoday.com:
"VIERA -- A jury today acquitted a Melbourne man of charges that he killed his girlfriend’s toddler daughter while babysitting.
The 12-member panel deliberated about 2 ½ hours before returning the verdict in the case of Shane William George.
George, 24, had faced life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in connection with the April 2008 death of 16-month-old Veda VanCleave.
Police said George was watching the child on April 5, 2008, while her mother was at work.
Attorneys for George said the toddler slipped outside a tub, fell backward and hit her head on the tile. They said the child had pre-existing medical problems which likely contributed to her death.
Prosecutors argued that the child suffered a fractured skull and died of blunt force trauma to the head -- injuries that evidence suggested were too severe to be an accident."
No comments:
Post a Comment