Rylee Sellars’ mother, Helen Thompson, made a victim impact statement in court, saying her baby was stolen and she didn't get to say goodbye.
EARLIER REPORT (March 8)
The jury returned its verdict against Jesse York shortly before 10:30 p.m. after seven hours of deliberations following a week-long trial. He was found guilty of murder, involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and felonious assault for injuries caused Nov. 13, 2013, to Rylee Sellars in Germantown. The toddler died two days later of blunt force trauma to her head at Dayton Children’s Hospital.
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"The verdict of guilty is great for our family and we're excited about it but it can't bring Rylee back," said the toddler's aunt, Billie Smith. "We obviously wish this tragedy wouldn't have happened. We wish our girl is with us, but we are happy with the guilty verdict. We feel like justice has been and will continue to be served."
Smith and Rylee's mother, Helen Thompson, said they will continue to hold benefits in Rylee's name and to speak out against child abuse.
"From now until the end of time we are her voice," Thompson said.
Judge Mary Katherine Huffman scheduled York’s sentencing for later this month.
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UPDATE @ 4:08 p.m. (March 8)
The murder trial of Jesse York continued Wednesday with testimony from the mother of slain 22-month-old Rylee Sellars.
Prosecutors have said that the little girl was fatally injured in a three-hour time period while he babysat the child as her mother was at work.
But york’s lawyers tried to chip away at that story and show that the child’s mother had concerns about her health before that three-hour period that ended with the little girl being rushed to Children’s Hospital.
EARLIER REPORT
Jesse York’s murder trial for allegedly killing 22-month-old Rylee Sellars won’t include another women’s testimony that York also may have injured her young daughter, a judge ruled.
Jury selection for York’s trial started this morning in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. He was indicted on counts of murder, involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and felonious assault for Nov. 13, 2013 injuries to the toddler.
Rylee died two days later of blunt force trauma to her head at Dayton Children’s Hospital, two months before her second birthday. York was indicted in January 2014.
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