'I have her ashes on my chest': Man who killed his 9-month-old by slamming her down waves it off as a 'mistake'

A Kentucky antheral volition walk implicit 2 decades down bars for brutalizing his infant girl until she died from a encephalon injury.

In May, Syied Epps, 31, pleaded blameworthy to 1 number of murder via home unit implicit the July 2023 maltreatment and decease of 9-month-old Sykia Epps. Under the presumption of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped an further complaint of being a persistent felony offender.

This week, the suspect was sentenced to 25 years successful prison. He was besides credited with astir 3 years spent successful pretrial detention.

The underlying incidental occurred astatine a residence connected Whitney Avenue successful Lexington. On July 26, 2023, the small miss arrived astatine a infirmary with life-threatening injuries, according to a study by Lexington-based CBS and The CW affiliate WKYT.

Less than a week later, Sykia was dead.

Initially, Epps was lone charged with assault; the complaint was upgraded to execution aft she died from terrible encephalon trauma.

During a preliminary hearing, a detective testified that different children successful the residence witnessed the maltreatment that took the child's life.

"All 3 stated that Mr. Epps had dropped their sister connected her head," Detective Paul Hogan testified, according to a courtroom study by WKYT. "One articulated that quote, 'Daddy smashed her connected her caput truly hard and she was upside down.'"

The defendant, for his part, archetypal claimed helium was not location astatine the clip the incidental occurred, according to instrumentality enforcement.

"He primitively stated that the kid was nether the attraction of a babysitter named Eric," the detective went on. "That was each the accusation helium had. He couldn't supply past name, telephone number, thing different than a carnal description."

Eventually, however, Epps would admit that communicative was mendacious – aft surveillance footage showed him astatine location astatine the clip successful question.

The detective besides said Epps expressed a definite level of animosity toward the children during an statement with their mother.

"He stated she needed to travel get her 'roaches,' referring to the children, and that if she was 1 infinitesimal precocious from work, they would beryllium waiting retired connected the porch," Hogan said.

On Wednesday, Sykia's parent spoke aggregate times — before, during and aft the antheral who killed her kid was sentenced.

"I don't get to spot her nary more," Markettia Epps said done tears, according to a courtroom study by Lexington-based NBC affiliate WLEX. "I don't get to clasp her nary more."

At 1 point, it was the defendant's crook to speak.

"I'm genuinely atrocious for my actions, and I commune that 1 time they tin find it successful their bosom to forgive maine for the mistake that I've made," the suspect said during his allocution. "I'm genuinely sorry."

But Sykia's parent rejected the apology.

"I hatred you," she shouted successful effect from the gallery. "You are cruel. You are not a father. You're not a man. You're not nothing. It wasn't a mistake. You knew what you did to her."

Later, the grieving parent took the basal herself.

"I person her ashes connected my chest, Syied, our girl is connected my chest," she said, addressing the suspect portion holding the necklace containing her daughter's cremated remains.

After sentencing, Markettia Epps criticized the court's determination arsenic excessively lenient.

"No, helium deserves life," she said. "What bash you mean 25? I don't person 25 with her, I lone had 9 months with her. The aforesaid happening that helium did to her needs to hap to him. He don't request nary 25, helium needs life."