Mount Vernon Woman Indicted In Death Of Baby Daughter Who May Have Been Put In Freezer
YONKERS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Mount Vernon was indicted Thursday in the violent death of her 1-year-old daughter this past summer.
Desia Bartee, 26, was indicted on one count of murder, three counts of manslaughter, and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the death of her 15-month old daughter,, Samia Yusef, whose body was found on Aug. 5.
At 5:21 a.m. that day, police were called to 210 Washington St. in Mount Vernon, where they found Samia's body in a playpen. She was on her back with her arms rigid pointing toward the ceiling, one of her eyes looked to be swollen shut, and she had no pulse, according to the Westchester County prosecutor's office.
Samia was taken to Mount Vernon Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival, prosecutors said.
The emergency room doctor who examined Samia's noted that she was extremely cold and may have been a freezer while in an advanced state of decomposition, prosecutors said.
Defendant Bartee implicated herself in her child's death and was arrested, prosecutors said.
An autopsy determined Samia died of blunt force trauma with a fracture dislocation of the lumbar spine, and internal bleeding. She was also significantly underweight and malnourished, and only weighed 14 pounds despite being 14 1/2 months old, prosecutors said.
Bartee is next due in court on Oct. 25. She faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison if convicted, prosecutors said.
