10 Month Old Girl’s Father Convicted of Murdering Her
A man was convicted Monday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, of killing his 10-month-old daughter.
According to WOOD, Seth Welch received a guilty verdict in a Kent County court of first degree child abuse for his daughter dying of malnutrition and dehydration.
Prosecutors said Welch allowed is baby girl, Mary Anne Welch, die because he thought she looked to weak to be able to help work on his farm near Cedar Springs when she grows up. Mary was said to be the weight of a newborn at 10 months and couldn't move her arms or even cry she was so weak.
The Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Kim Richardson said, "this is torture."
Welch did not take the stand and his attorney claimed the families religious beliefs kept Mary's parents from taking her to a doctor or a hospital. Welch's attorney, Charles Clapp said during this during the closing arguments, "ineptitude and mistaken religious beliefs do not equal child abuse."
Welch will be sentenced March 11 but will spend the rest of his life in prison without possible parole.
Welch's wife, Tatiana Fusari will also face child abuse and murder charges.
The couple still have three children that are alive.