It took a Dawes County District Court jury just 90 minutes after 3 days of testimony to find a Chadron man guilty of child abuse in the death of his 10-month old daughter 16 months ago.
27-year old Riley Lenhart will be sentenced December 4th on one count of Intentional Child Abuse Resulting in Death. Lenhart’s bond has been revoked and a presentence report ordered.
Madilynn Lenhart died June 19, 2022, at the family home after her father said he’d found her not breathing when he returned to her after taking a shower. An autopsy of the infant listed ligature strangulation as the cause of death.
Lead prosecutor and Assistant Attorney General Doug Warner relied heavily on the testimony of pathologist Dr Robert Schilke (SHILL-kee) in his closing arguments.
Warber reminded jurors that Schilke said bruises near the eye and cuts in Madilynn’s lower lip showed that downward pressure had been applied from behind while something was held against her throat.
Defense attorney Thomas Lancaster of the Commission on Public Advocacy had attacked Schilke’s conclusions on cross-examination and focused much of his closing arguments on those issues.
Lancaster said Schilke had not considered the fact the infant was born prematurely and was late in developing, leaving her unable to hold up her head for long – which Lancaster said meant Sudden Infant Death Syndrome was a possibility.
He attacked, as he had when she was on the witness stand, the truthfulness of the infant’s mother, Alyssa Parkins – saying her testimony often differed from statements she gave police, including that she’d seen the injuries cited by Schilke as being from strangulation when she’d picked up her daughter from daycare.
Lancaster also reminded the jurors that Lenhart’s friends had reported that she had called her daughter “a little bitch” and showed no love toward the girl while Lenhart was kind and loving to both his children, never losing his temper toward them or using corporal punishment.
Execute him, just that simple.
Days and days of having to hear about a baby killer. I’m sure that there is something much better to talk about in our community than this. Something positive or inspiring. Giving this person any kind of attention is disgusting. The Almighty will deal with him for his crimes against humanity.
If everyone’s sin were exposed few would be found guiltless. The heart is deceitful and none are exempt from wrongdoing. Earl is correct!
Where have I heard those words before?
Oh, I know, for the Former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
Okay
So don’t talk about or act on the hard things?
If it’s up to the almighty then why was this child murdered?
And if that same the almighty will deal with his crimes against humanity then I suppose the trial and conviction mean nothing and let him go???
It’s obvious that you have totally missed the point… That is truly sad. I feel for you.
Funny yet sad how we categorize wrongdoing. The sin of sodom and Gomorrah is much much more than is the popular teaching of today. Ezekiel 16:49-50
49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.