A man in Oklahoma has been sentenced to death for beating his ex-girlfriend's two-year-old son to death while babysitting in 2015.
Dustin Melvin Davison, 25, was sentenced Thursday in the killing of Kreedin Paul Brooks. The death sentence decision was decided on the grounds that the murder was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel.
The jury also decided that Davison would be a continued threat to society, according to NewsOk.
Davison agreed to babysit his ex girlfriend, Jennifer Young's baby despite their breakup. Prosecutors argued he beat the baby to death in a rage over his ex moving on and dating again.
The beating happened May 18, 2015 inside the Bethany apartment Davison shared with Young.
The injuries to little Brooks were extensive. He had a skull fracture, brain bleeding, a broken jawbone and 49 bruises below the neck.
Davison's story as to how the child died varied after his arrest. He gave dozens of accounts as to how the boy became injured.
In one of his explanations he told police the boy was injured in a pillow fight. In another he said the boy fell off a second story balcony.
Finally at one point, he confessed to slamming the toddler's head on a floor.
Defense attorneys contended Davison's actions were 'out of the blue.' During the trial, defense attorneys also requested Davison's competency be reviewed. They argued that the death penalty was "inappropriate" for the case, saying Davison wasn't in the right state of mind.
They even argued that 'Mr. Davison asserts that he has had discussions with God and deceased family members recently.' The judge denied the requests for a review of his competency.
The boy's mother was unable to attend Davison's sentencing.
Appeals are automatic, so he likely won't have his sentence carried out for years to come.
Source: MailOnline, April 6, 2018
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