Baby sitter’s murder conviction upheld
Posted on Thursday, February 7, 2008
BENTONVILLE — The Arkansas Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld the murder conviction of a Rogers woman who caused the death of a 4-month-old infant.
In September 2006, a jury found Samantha Anne Mitchell, 34, guilty of second-degree murder for shaking Dominick Sanders and causing the injuries that led to his death. Mitchell was sentenced to 20 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction.
Mitchell was the baby’s daycare provider. Jurors found that she was responsible for shaking the child and causing injuries that led to his death.
On March 15, 2005, Sanders ’ parents took him to St. Mary’s Hospital in Rogers after the infant was unresponsive and having seizures. He died four days later at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.
During Mitchell’s trial, her attorney claimed Mitchell’s 2-year-old son may have been responsible for Sanders’ injuries.
Mitchell appealed her conviction on three factors. She claimed the evidence was insufficient to support a conviction. She also claimed Circuit Judge David Clinger abused his discretion by allowing witnesses to use the term shaken-baby syndrome and allowing jurors to view a video demonstration of shaking an infant.
The Court of Appeals denied each of Mitchell’s claims.
Mitchell also pleaded guilty to writing hot checks and was sentenced to three years in prison. That sentence is being served consecutively to the one for murder.
She pleaded guilty to violation of the Arkansas Hot Check Law, a class C felony.
According to court documents, Mitchell wrote 110 hot checks. Seventy-six were written while she was free on $ 100, 000 bond in the murder case, according to court documents.
Mitchell is being held in the Arkansas Department of Correction’s Wrightsville Women’s Facility.
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