Man kills daughter over Xbox
Quote:
A man who played video games for hours each day has been convicted of killing his 17-month-old daughter when she pulled out his Xbox console.
Jurors rejected arguments that Tyrone Spellman had confessed to protect the child's mother.
After a day of deliberation, they convicted Spellman of third-degree murder and child endangerment, for which he faces up to 47 years in prison.
Prosecutors in Philadelphia believe he pummelled Alayiah Turman, cracking her skull several times, while her pregnant mother slept in another room on September 7, 2006.
They argued that Spellman fled the house afterwards, and that the mother, Mia Turman, had no reason to go in the bedroom where the baby was found.
"He spent six to seven hours a day in there playing Xbox," Assistant District Attorney James Berardinelli said.
Spellman, 27, of Philadelphia, confessed to police the next day, but defence lawyer Bobby Hoof said his statement had been coerced after 24 hours in custody.
"He's not happy with the verdict. He does not agree with the verdict, but he respects the jury verdict," Mr Hoof said of Spellman.
A post-mortem examination showed that Alayiah had suffered a broken arm about two weeks before she died - an injury that city social workers did not see on two visits to the house in late August, when they found the toddler well.
The city took custody of the couple's second daughter, born after Alayiah's death.
Horrible.
