Baby Caliyah was only 15 days old when her father, Christopher McNabb, ended her life in a brutal assault.
But as the sentencing unfolded, the judge presented McNabb with a unique opportunity to influence his own fate.
At the time of this horrific incident, McNabb and his partner, Courtney Marie Bell, were reportedly under the influence of crystal meth. They claimed that their baby had been taken while they slept.
The couple was living in a trailer park in Covington, Georgia, about 40 miles from Atlanta, when this tragic event unfolded.
Bell was convicted of second-degree murder, child cruelty, and contributing to the dependency of a minor.
She received a 30-year sentence, with 15 years to be served in confinement.
The judge then asked him, “You claim you’re innocent, so you tell me what sentence the man or woman that you claimed did this should receive.”
McNabb responded, “If you ever find out who did this, they deserve to be under the jail,” and the judge followed up with, “So they should get the maximum sentence?”
During the proceedings, the prosecutor made it clear that there was no room for doubts about the couple’s guilt.
District Attorney Layla Zon asserted, “That child didn’t do anything but need love, and her daddy killed her.”
“She was a gift to Cortney Bell and Christopher McNabb.”
“That child was doomed the moment they left that hospital. They took pure innocence and brought that child into a life of hell.”
If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone about child welfare, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD or 1-800-422-4453) is available 24/7 and takes calls from the United States, Canada, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
