Father's girlfriend drugs, tortures toddler to death in US; jailed

Columbus: A 25-year-old US woman, on Thursday, was given life imprisonment for brutally torturing and killing her boyfriend’s 4-year-old daughter at her residence in Toledo, Ohio.

According to a report in The Sun, Bridgette White was found guilty of murder and endangering children over the death of Aaliyah Smith, a younger child of her live-in partner Tyrone Hooks.

The incident of brutal torture which led to death of Aaliyah came into light after a postmortem report was revealed in the court.

Frank Spryszak, an assistant county prosecutor, told the court that Aaliyah had burns and blunt force trauma marks to her scalp, face, torso, buttocks, arms, hands, legs, and feet.

It was also brought to the court’s notice that the accused was a drug addict, and that, traces of heroin and cocaine were found in the child’s blood.

The court heard, the accused was meant to look after Aaliyah and her elder sister while her boyfriend, the girl’s father Tyrone Hooks, was at work.

Tyrone discovered the body of Aaliyah on November 22, 2016, and later called 911 to report the death. Subsequently, the father and his live-in partner were arrested.

The accused, at times used to lock Aaliyah up in a dog cage in a poorly lit basement. Police found the dog cage containing her hair fibres and a pair of the child’s underwear.

US court Judge Ruth Ann Franks while pronouncing the verdict told White repeatedly that she will be facing a maximum term of life in prison without eligibility for parole.

The judge said: “Presume you will never be released from the state penitentiary and you will die in prison.”

Along with the accused, the judge also indicted the victim’s father for permitting child abuse and endangering children.