By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle
NEWPORT – A Lincoln City man found guilty in September of murdering his 15-month-old daughter was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
Emerson Cromwell was charged with killing his daughter, Maliah, on Aug. 9, 2022, later calling 9-1-1 when the child became unresponsive. Cromwell and the child were the only ones at the home. The girl was taken to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, where she died the following day. Medical records listed the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head.
Cromwell has been in custody since Aug. 11, 2022. In September, a Lincoln County circuit court jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter after a four-week trial. On Tuesday, presiding judge Sheryl Bachart issued Cromwell’s sentence.
“I disagree with the process and I’m sorry my daughter isn’t here to speak the truth of what happened,” Cromwell said. “I’m sorry my daughter isn’t here.”
When looking at the evidence and testimony, which included medical experts and photographs, it was clear that Maliah died a violent death, Bachart said. Photos showed hemorrhaging that covered the entire right side of the toddler’s brain and that her brain stem was hemorrhaging into the base of her skull.
“This was not premeditated, but the opposite of that doesn’t make it a mistake,” Bachart said.
When sentencing someone there are also other factors to consider, such as a criminal history. Although Cromwell had no previous crimes, the judge said, sometimes a crime is so heinous and violent in nature that this factor is no longer considered.
While there were also statements made in his defense showing Cromwell’s character, the judge said she issued the sentence based on conduct, not character.
“All of these things can be true at the same time – that he loved his daughter, that he regretted what he had done, that he was ill equipped to be a father, that he murdered her and that she suffered a very violent death,” she said.
It would be easier to accept that Maliah died of some undiagnosed illness, but that theory was absolutely rejected by the jury, she said.
Cromwell was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of serving 25 years, after which he was eligible for parole.
“The sentence in this case is severe,” Bachart said. “But the reality is the defendant deprived Malia of her entire life and there is absolutely no sentence the court can oppose that is proportionate to the life that Malia deserves to live.”
- Shayla Escudero covers Lincoln County government, education, Newport, housing and social services for Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at Shayla@LincolnChronicle.org
