‘No amount of prison time will ever be enough’: Boyfriend receives shorter sentence for killing woman’s toddler daughter, injuring son after judge tosses confession

After a tribunal tossed retired the confession, a California antheral pleaded down from a execution complaint to voluntary manslaughter for killing his then-girlfriend’s 1-year-old daughter. Derrick Dimone Woods, 47, was sentenced connected Tuesday to 15 years and 8 months successful situation for sidesplitting Amanda Owens, 16 months, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office announced.

He besides pleaded blameworthy to carnal kid maltreatment for hurting and injuring Amanda’s 3-year-old brother, Elijah, and to mendacious imprisonment by unit oregon unit regarding some children.

“These were brutal and heinous crimes against susceptible children, by a precise disturbed man,” District Attorney Jeff Reisig said. “No magnitude of situation clip volition ever beryllium capable successful this case. We are heartbroken for the family.”

Prosecutors accidental that the siblings’ parent near them successful Woods’ attraction astatine a motel successful the metropolis of West Sacramento connected Feb. 15, 2021. She returned 3 hours later, lone to find Woods moving disconnected into a getaway vehicle. He had near her children battered.

“Amanda was recovered connected a furniture wrong the motel room, covered with a sheet, acold and not breathing,” prosecutors wrote. “Amanda’s look was swollen and covered successful bruises. Elijah was sitting connected a seat wrong the room. Both his look and assemblage were bruised, and helium had reddish welts from being whipped with an electrical charging cord.”

Authorities recovered Woods the adjacent time successful adjacent Sacramento. The defence argued helium was incompetent to look proceedings owed to an intelligence disability, and though the tribunal restored him to competency, the justice besides tossed his confession.

“In a pre-trial ruling, due to the fact that of Woods’ intelligence disablement and a prolonged hold betwixt the apprehension of Woods and the speechmaking of Miranda warnings, Judge McAdam excluded Woods’ confession,” prosecutors wrote. “Despite the territory attorney’s disagreement with the ruling, based connected however the tribunal interpreted the facts, a palmy entreaty was unlikely.”

The D.A.’s bureau highlighted statements from Amanda’s household astatine the sentencing.

“At yesterday’s sentencing hearing, aggregate household members of Amanda and Elijah spoke to Judge McAdam,” prosecutors wrote. “They expressed their rage and devastation implicit the nonaccomplishment of Amanda and the injuries suffered by Elijah. The parent of the children told the tribunal that the full tribunal acquisition has been incredibly traumatic, exhausting and emotionally draining. She stated, ‘Every beingness deserves to beryllium valued and protected.'”

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