A Virginia man will die in prison after a judge sentenced him to two life sentences for beating Harper Mitchell and then refusing to get her medical attention until it was too late.
A jury convicted Andrew Byrd, 37, in March of aggravated murder, malicious wounding and several other charges for killing his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter in 2020.
“This is the most serious crime of all the crimes we have on our books,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Chris Rehak, according to The Roanoke Times. “This defendant tortured that poor little girl.”
On April 16, Byrd was at her home in Roanoke, about 200 miles west of Richmond, with Harper and her two siblings while the child’s mother, Amanda Mitchell, was at work.
When Mitchell returned, her daughter was limp, bruised and cold, but Byrd wouldn’t let her call for help, local newspapers reported.
Mitchell testified that he took her phone, choked her and threatened to kill her children if she took the little girl to the hospital.
All Byrd cared about that night was “getting high” and didn’t care about the suffering children he had seriously injured, Rehak told the judge at his sentencing, according to the outlet.
Andrew Byrd, 37, was convicted of aggravated murder, malicious wounding and other charges for the murder of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter Harper. New River Valley Regional Jailer Harper Mitchell found the young girl limp, bruised and cold, but Byrd wouldn’t let her call for help. Bradley Funeral Home
The next morning, Mitchell said he was able to get his phone and call Byrd’s mother, who dialed 911. Harper was rushed to the hospital, but it was too late. His family withdrew life support three days later.
His injuries were so bad that medical examiner Dr. Amy Tharp testified that Harper’s battered body looked like it had been in a bad car accident. He died of blunt force trauma to the head.
Byrd’s attorney argued that no one witnessed him hitting Harper and called the prosecution’s case a “wild theory.”
He had a significant history of substance abuse and addiction to methamphetamine at the time, they added.
The next morning Harper was taken to the hospital and remained on life support for three days. Bradley Funeral Home He died of blunt force trauma to the head. Bradley Funeral Home
After his arrest, he offered several explanations for Harper’s injuries, including that he may have fallen down the stairs or fallen from his four-wheeler.
“This is a dangerous and violent liar,” Rehak told the judge on Friday, according to local newspapers. A life sentence is “probably too good, and too much mercy,” he added.
The child’s father, TJ Mitchell, told the judge how much he misses his little girl and how difficult it is to take her off life support.
“No one, let alone a little girl, a little angel, deserves to be hurt,” Circuit Judge Joey Showalter said before handing down the sentence.
Amanda Mitchell has pending charges for child abuse, cruelty and drug possession. Byrd faces additional charges stemming from alleged abuse of Mitchell’s son.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
