Left: Murtadah Mohammad (Manchester Police Department). Right: Jaevion Riley (New Hampshire Department of Justice).
The father of a slain 7-year-old boy has been sentenced for the child’s horrific death — and for trying to play off the scalding injuries that killed him as a spilling accident.
The defendant, Murtadah Mohammad, 27, must spend 45 years to life in prison for second-degree murder, the New Hampshire Department of Justice announced on Tuesday. He also has a two-to-four year consecutive sentence for falsifying physical evidence, but the court ordered that to be suspended for 10 years upon his release for the homicide charge — as long as Mohammad committed no more crimes. Mohammad pleaded guilty on April 1.
As previously reported, officers in the city of Manchester said they were called the morning of Jan. 17 to a home on Eastern Avenue. They had gotten a report of the victim, Jaevion Riley, 7, suffering significant burns to his face and body. They said they were told he was not conscious and he was not breathing.
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“The hospital described his injuries as torture, mutilation and brutalization,” Jaevion’s mother, Rainah Riley, told NBC Boston at the time.
She described there being burns, a kicked-out tooth, and blunt force trauma to Jaevion’s head.
“This man was trying to kill my child,” she reportedly told authorities.
Police have said that Mohammad claimed to be in the shower, and that he did not see how his son got hurt. Investigators, however, said they did not find signs of anyone recently taking a shower.
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Authorities said that Mohammad staged a spill accident as the cause of his son’s scalding injuries. Ultimately, he admitted in court to physically abusing his son and not seeking timely help for his injuries.
“This was a heartbreaking case, and today’s sentence reflects the severity of the defendant’s actions,” Attorney General John M. Formella said in a statement Tuesday. “We are deeply grateful to the trial team, investigators, and Manchester Police for their hard work and dedication in securing justice for Jaevion Riley. While no sentence can undo this tragedy, we hope it offers some measure of accountability and closure.”
