'We're guilty as s—': Parents recorded discussing starvation of infant daughter weeks after being returned to their custody

New details person been revealed successful the lawsuit of a 26-year-old parent and a 25-year-old begetter successful California accused of starving their 3-month-old babe girl to decease successful precocious 2021.

Prosecutors past week revealed the grisly circumstances surrounding the decease of babe Delilah Ucman during the proceedings of her parents, Brandon Copeland and Elizabeth Reneedawn Ucman, some of whom are charged with first-degree murder.

During Wednesday's opening statements, Deputy District Attorney Francesca Ballerio told jurors that the babe was steadfast astatine commencement and lone died arsenic a effect of being starved and neglected by her parents, San Diego NBC affiliate KNSD reported.

"She was reduced to little than fractional of her commencement weight," the authoritative said. "You could spot the outline of her abdominal organs," adding that what happened was "prolonged terrible malnutrition."

Ballerio told the tribunal that the baby's decease "didn't hap overnight," emphasizing that Delilah weighed lone 3.65 pounds erstwhile she died, the San Diego Tribune reported.

As Law&Crime previously reported, officers with the San Diego Police Department astatine astir 11:15 p.m. connected Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2021, responded to an exigency telephone astir an unresponsive babe successful a residence located successful the 3300 artifact of Maple Street successful Colina del Sol.

Upon arriving connected the scene, archetypal responders recovered the kid was not breathing and performed CPR. Emergency Medical Services unit arrived soon aft and continued performing lifesaving procedures arsenic they rushed the babe to a section infirmary wherever she was pronounced dead.

When Delilah was born, societal services determined that the parents and their filthy flat were not acceptable for a newborn and gave exigency custody to Ucman's aunt. However, Delilah was returned to the couple's attraction aft astir a month, contempt warnings from aggregate household members that the parents were unfit owed to substance maltreatment and intelligence wellness issues.

Prosecutors connected Wednesday showed jurors a transcript of a post-arrest speech betwixt Ucman and Copeland, who were reportedly near unsocial successful a country and discussed what happened to their girl and however they were responsible.

"We're blameworthy arsenic s—. We neglected her," Copeland reportedly said to Ucman. "I mean, technically, what we did was murder."

Later successful the conversation, Ucman allegedly said, "I'm scared, babe." Copeland allegedly responded by saying, "Oh well, however bash you deliberation Delilah felt?"

Defense attorneys reportedly argued that the parent and begetter had some been severely abused arsenic children and suffered from a assortment of intelligence wellness issues that near them incapable of decently caring for themselves, fto unsocial a child.

"These 2 young radical were wholly overwhelmed," Copeland's attorney, Courtney Cutter, reportedly told the court. "They were functioning astatine the level of children themselves."

"There mightiness beryllium immoderate criminality, but you request to look astatine the full picture," Cutter said, per KNSD. "The authorities lone wants you to spot the result and spot it arsenic malicious. Nobody wanted her to die. Everybody failed her."

Ucman's defence attorney, Anthony Parker, reportedly argued that Ucman loved her daughter, but suffered from postpartum slump that near her incapable to attraction for anyone, including herself.

Ucman and Copeland person some remained successful custody since their November 2021 arrests.