A Kent couple each pleaded not guilty to first-degree criminal mistreatment charges in connection with the November death of their 10-month-old daughter.
Domonique L. Leonard, 25, and Joresha R. Palmer, 25, each entered their pleas Thursday in King County Superior Court in Kent. Each remained in custody at the county jail with bail set at $250,000 for Leonard and $50,000 for Palmer.
Leonard is scheduled to return to court April 25 and Palmer on May 2. A trial date could be set at the court appearances or attorneys could ask for more time to prepare the case. The maximum prison sentence for first-degree criminal mistreatment is 10 years, said Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Kent Police arrested Palmer on March 27 while Leonard was taken into custody April 3.
Prosecutors claim each parent during a period between last Oct. 1 and Nov. 28 did recklessly cause great bodily harm to the baby by withholding any of the basic necessities of life.
Kent Police responded to a Nov. 28 call to a West Hill apartment about a 10-month-old girl who was not breathing, according to charging papers. Upon arrival by officers, the baby was pronounced dead. Both parents were present.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be certified homicide from a subdural hematoma (a collection of blood on the surface of the brain) to the right side of the head.
Both parents told detectives that they had no knowledge of previous injuries, according to charging papers. Both said they noticed their daughter favoring her left leg. The parents said the baby was in their care 95 to 98 percent of the time and that they rarely used babysitters other than to go to the grocery store. Leonard occasionally worked an evening job while Palmer did not work outside the home.
A family relative observed the leg injury on Nov. 18 and recommended to Leonard and Palmer that they take the girl to the hospital. But the parents decided to keep her at home.
Investigators in December sent all of the preliminary autopsy information to child abuse specialists at Seattle Children’s hospital. A doctor from the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect team reviewed the case and issued a report that the leg fracture is consistent with inflicted trauma, either from, “a direct blow to the leg or from the leg being forcefully yanked or manipulated.”
The doctor reported that the leg injury was most likely greater than three weeks old based on the amount of healing.
Detectives in February obtained a completed autopsy report from the Medical Examiner’s Office that also was reviewed by a doctor from Seattle Children’s hospital. The doctor then issued this report:
“The evidence of multiple injuries of different ages, all of which are seen individually in inflicted trauma, is highly indicative of child abuse,” according to charging papers. “This pattern is consistent with repeated child abuse but only the femur fracture may have been noticed by another care provider. But, this would have been as obvious in an infant as a prolonged fever to 104. A normal care provider would know to be alarmed and seek care.”
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