Jury clears Melbourne man in Toddler's death...
A Melbourne man was acquitted Tuesday of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the 2008 death of his girlfriend's toddler daughter.
A 12-member panel deliberated about 2½ hours before returning the verdict in the case of Shane William George, 24. He had faced life in prison if convicted.
"It's been a long year," a smiling George said, briefly pausing from hugging a gathering of family and friends one at a time. "I'm going to go home and be with my family."
Police said George was watching 14-month-old Veda VanCleave on April 5, 2008, while her mother was at work. Attorneys for George said the toddler slipped outside a tub, fell backward and hit her head on the tile floor.
Prosecutors said George's version of events was inconsistent with that of a medical examiner and two Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital doctors, who said the child suffered a fractured skull and listed the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head.
"With the injuries this child had, clearly it was not accidental," Assistant State Attorney Julia Lynch said. "But the jury considered it. We respect the jury's verdict."
However, defense attorney Robin Lemonidis said the child had pre-existing medical problems. They included development delays, an eye condition that contributed to balance problems and a pre-existing hematoma found during the autopsy that indicated bleeding on the brain from a fall mere weeks before her death.
Lemonidis and co-counsel Jennifer Mostert presented testimony from a biochemical engineer and neurosurgeon, who testified the pre-existing problems likely contributed to a seizure and a fall from her 32-inch standing position could cause her to hit the ground at 9.4 mph -- enough to fracture her skull.
Lemonidis said she believes George and the baby's mother -- who quickly exited the courtroom in tears with her family after the verdict was read -- are victims of shoddy investigative work by the Arnold Palmer doctors and Orange County medical examiner who handled the case.
"I knew from the day I met him, he was not guilty," Lemonidis said. "He was just trying to be a good dad to this kid so the mom wouldn't have to pay for a babysitter. And this is the thanks he got -- 370 days in jail. Hopefully, he can move on."
***This story was originally published in the FLORIDA TODAY!