Warren Woman Sentenced To Life In Prison For Killing 2-Week-Old Baby
MOUNT CLEMENS (WWJ/AP) - A 26-year-old metro Detroit woman who was convicted of first-degree murder and child abuse in the death of her 2-week-old daughter has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Charliette Stalling, of Warren, proclaimed her innocence Thursday before receiving the mandatory punishment in the case. She was convicted by a jury last month.
Prosecutors say Stalling slammed her baby's head with force in four locations. An autopsy ruled the death homicide by blunt-force trauma to the head.
Paramedics found 15-day-old Jamiah Stalling limp and without a heartbeat when they responded to her home the 7200 block of Orchard Avenue in October 2013. The girl, who weighed less than eight pounds, died in a Detroit hospital.
The defense argued that it wasn't clear how or where the infant's injuries occurred.
Assistant Macomb County Prosecutor Therese Tobin argued that while Stalling might not have made admissions, she did fail to explain the injuries.
"She was there and watching Jamiah that day," Tobin said. "'I don't know' isn't good enough."
Defense lawyer Louis Zaidan filed a motion to have the jury's verdict thrown out. If the motion request is denied, Stalling has the right to file an appeal.
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