MARTINEZ — A Richmond man and girl averted a homicide conviction within the demise of their toddler son, however have been discovered responsible of an equally severe offense, authorities mentioned.
Ray Ray Darn, 37, and Marilyn Northington, 30, have been convicted of assault on a toddler inflicting demise — a criminal offense that carries 25 years to life in jail — in addition to an involuntary manslaughter. Each prices stem from the demise of 5-week-old Amary Darn, who suffered damaged bones, sores, burns, hunger and methamphetamine in his bloodstream earlier than his dad and mom admitted him to a close-by hospital.
Jurors acquitted the couple of homicide. They deliberated for roughly 4 days earlier than asserting their verdict on Monday.
At sentencing, will probably be as much as Contra Costa Decide Terri Mockler to resolve whether or not to stack the sentences or run them concurrently.
The proof surrounding Amary’s demise was horrific, and each Darn and Northington’s attorneys’ pointed the finger on the different mother or father, making a state of affairs the place every defendant was being accused of wrongdoing by a protection legal professional and a prosecutor.
Darn’s lawyer contended that Amary died of “poisonous breast milk” from his drug addicted mom and mentioned the pathologist contracted by the county to do the child’s post-mortem made severe errors. Northington’s lawyer painted Darn as a serial abuser whose victims included Northington, and mentioned he took benefit of her mental incapacity to make her reliant on him.
On the time of Amary’s demise, they have been dwelling within the Courtyard by Marriott in Richmond, by way of the Higher Richmond Interfaith Program that used the Hilltop space resort to supply housing for individuals who couldn’t afford it through the coronavirus pandemic.
Amary was born a number of days after Christmas 2020 and died in early February. When Darn introduced him to the hospital, Amary was lined in sores, burns and mould. He suffered damaged ribs, a damaged femur, a fractured wrist and a fractured cranium. There was methamphetamine in his bloodstream — and nothing in his abdomen or intestines. He wasn’t simply malnourished; he’d been starved, an post-mortem later discovered.
The decision comes on the heels of yet one more baby homicide case coming into the Contra Costa Superior Courtroom system. Final week, a Rodeo man and girl have been charged with homicide and torture within the demise and severe damage of the girl’s youngsters, aged 2 years, and 9 months, respectively.
