SAN DIEGO (CN) - Two juries on Thursday convicted Elizabeth Ucman and Brandon Copeland of murder for starving their infant daughter in 2021.
The two parents, Ucman, 26, and Copeland, 25, were arrested on Nov. 10, 2021, the day after police responded to their home and found their daughter, Delilah, emaciated, pale and not breathing in their squalid apartment in the City Heights neighborhood.
Both defendants were charged with second-degree murder, which carries a minimum of 15 years in prison. Alternatively, their defense attorneys asked jurors to instead find them only guilty of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum of four years.
The trial, presided over by San Diego Superior Court Judge Robert Amador, included two juries that heard each defendant simultaneously, but deliberated over the charges separately.
The trial included emotionally wrenching photographs of Delilah's skeletal remains, as well as revolting photographs of the living conditions in the family's apartment.
Prosecutors relied heavily on testimony from medical professionals, social workers, family members and law enforcement officers who were in contact with the baby. Deputy District Attorney Franciesca Balerio portrayed the couple in her closing arguments as unwilling parents who consciously knew their daughter was in danger, but chose not to take her to a doctor or even provide care.
Early in the trial, Balerio showed jurors police surveillance footage of Copeland and Ucman admitting to guilt and discussing plans to potentially flee if they were allowed to post bail.
Copeland and Ucman's attorneys leaned into their clients' apparent incompetence.
The defense attorneys argued that the two suffer from depression and PTSD stemming from abusive childhoods. Their lack of parenting skills was criminally negligent, but did not reach the threshold of malice required for a murder conviction, they said. Rather, they pointed to what they described as a broken system of social workers and doctors that should have intervened sooner.
Closing arguments for Ucman and Copeland took place on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. The two sat in the courtroom simultaneously, though at different tables, throughout the trial.
Ucman and Copeland met in Tennessee in 2020 or 2021, according to family members.
Delilah was born on July 18, 2021.
Ucman and Copeland originally said they didn't know about the pregnancy until she went into labor, but forensic evidence showed that she had scheduled doctor's appointments for her pregnancy months before she gave birth.
Various youth and child welfare agencies began to offer the couple help, including rental assistance, parenting classes and other assistance. The social workers also coordinated safety meetings to ensure there was support and resources for the parents.
Delilah lived in the care of Ucman's aunt, Annie Chapman, for the first few weeks of her life while the parents cleaned their apartment, which was filled with trash. However, the condition of the apartment quickly deteriorated shortly after.
Delilah appeared to be gaining weight normally up until a September 2021 doctor's appointment, when she had lost more than a pound since her previous doctor's visit. It was the last time anyone saw her outside of her family.
Dr. Shalon Nienow, a child abuse doctor, testified that babies at that age are never supposed to lose weight - they only gain weight - so any weight loss is concerning.
The doctor who last saw Delilah, Dr. Sudha Amatya, said that Delilah appeared dehydrated and had a sunken fontanel, or soft spot on her head. Ucman appeared concerned and willing to take her to the nearby Rady Children's Hospital at her suggestion, she said.
But that visit never happened, according to Nienow's records.
The parents had cut off contact with family members after a disagreement in August 2021. They also seemingly avoided contact with the social workers assigned to them, cancelling appointments and making excuses for not being home until Delilah's death.
Balerio said that the couple continuously lied about their whereabouts, claiming multiple times to be in L.A., to avoid responsibility.
Records of Delilah's health in October 2021 are sparse, but forensic evidence showed Ucman sent a photograph of the baby to a friend. In it, her bones are visible beneath her skin and she is crying.
Twelve days later, on Nov. 9, 2021, the parents called 911 after they said they found her not breathing. They were arrested the following day.
Originally, the defendants were charged facing 25 years to life for first-degree murder.
Source: Courthouse News Service
