Oregon Father Sentenced to Life for Beating 15-Month-Old Daughter to Death After ‘Bad News’ About Clothing Business
LINCOLN CITY, OREGON — A 27-year-old father has been sentenced to life in prison after brutally beating his 15-month-old daughter to death in what prosecutors say was a violent outburst triggered by frustration over a failed clothing business.
Emerson Cromwell, of Lincoln City, was convicted by a jury last month of second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, and first-degree manslaughter. On Tuesday, Judge Sheryl Bachart handed down a life sentence, calling the killing “a violent, horrible death that she did not have to suffer.”
‘Bad News’ and Deadly Rage
The tragedy began on August 9, 2022, when Cromwell called 911 claiming his baby girl had suddenly collapsed. He told dispatchers she was “fine before crawling toward him and collapsing,” and said he “shook her once to revive her.”
But investigators quickly discovered a very different story.
According to the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office, text messages from earlier that day showed Cromwell was frustrated with feeding his daughter and had received bad news about a clothing business venture he was pursuing. Minutes later, he texted the child’s mother saying “something was wrong with the child,” before calling for help.
When emergency crews arrived, they found the toddler unconscious with visible injuries. She was first taken to a local hospital, where doctors discovered a severe brain bleed, then airlifted 100 miles to Oregon Health & Science University’s Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland.
By the next morning, the 15-month-old was dead.
Pattern of Abuse Exposed
During Cromwell’s trial, prosecutors revealed a disturbing pattern of violence that had gone on for nearly the child’s entire short life.
“He began spanking his daughter when she was merely five months old and would often take the child into her room and beat her, causing bruises that lasted for days,” the DA’s office said.
Witnesses testified that Cromwell frequently left the infant home alone and had been seen losing his temper during routine care.
Medical experts testified that the child’s fatal brain injuries were consistent only with violent physical trauma, not an accident.
“It was at the hands of her father,” Judge Bachart said during sentencing. “He was ill-equipped to be a father.”
Life Sentence with 25 Years Before Parole
Under Oregon law, Cromwell will serve at least 25 years in prison before being eligible for parole. Prosecutors said the sentence reflects both the brutality of the crime and the ongoing suffering the child endured during her short life.
Assistant District Attorneys described the murder as one of the most disturbing cases of child abuse they had seen, citing Cromwell’s deliberate violence and indifference to his daughter’s pain.
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