Mother gets 10 years in prison for death of daughter

Lisa M. Davis pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge in the death of her daughter, 2.

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By Lou Grieco, Staff Writer Updated 8:04 AM Friday, March 12, 2010

DAYTON — A woman convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the 2004 beating death of her 2-year-old daughter was sentenced Thursday, March 11, to 10 years in prison, the maximum sentence.

Lisa M. Davis, 25, pleaded guilty Feb. 12. Her daughter Elizabeth died Aug. 14, 2004, from a severe blow to the abdomen.

Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Dennis J. Langer noted that Davis’ conviction was not for hitting her daughter, though some people believe she may have caused the fatal injuries. Instead, Davis was convicted of involuntary manslaughter as a “proximate result” of committing child endangerment by allowing her daughter to be hurt and not seeking medical attention for the girl.

It took eight to 24 hours for the girl to bleed to death internally after someone struck her abdomen hard enough to split open her liver and nearly sever her small intestine, according to the autopsy report obtained in a 2006 Dayton Daily News examination.

That did not mean Davis had not been “a horribly abusive mother,” Langer said.

The girl was covered with bruises across her body, including on her temple and chin, Langer said.

Davis wept as she told Langer, “I’ve taken responsibility for not being the mother I should have been. I live every single day with the fact that I did not protect my child as a mother should.”

Following the sentencing, county Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck Jr. said that while there was insufficient evidence to charge Davis with striking the fatal blow, there was overwhelming evidence that Davis had abused the child repeatedly during the girl’s life. He also praised Miamisburg police for their diligent investigation over a five-year period.

“These cases take time,” Heck said. “Justice was served today.”

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