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- A Vineyard father, Alexzander Sean Berry, was sentenced to 25 years to life for murdering his 4-month-old daughter.
- Prosecutors described the abuse as a "prolonged series of events" leading to the child's death.
- The child's mother, Myra Jane Megan, was also sentenced to prison for not reporting the abuse.
AMERICAN FORK — A judge sentenced a Vineyard father to a term of 25 years to life in prison Tuesday for the murder of his 4-month-old daughter after "nausea-inducing levels of violence" and "profound neglect."
Fourth District Judge Denise Porter said as she was preparing for the man's hearing she could only think about why the father didn't just walk away, giving his daughter, Alexis Menengwa Berry, a chance. She told him he was not equipped to be a father, and his partner was not equipped to be a mother.
"This child never had a chance at all, from what appears to be almost day one," she said.
Alexzander Sean Berry, 30, pleaded guilty in September to aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, admitting to the abuse that took his daughter's life.
"I can only hope that people who need help or who are not ready to parent might take some kind of lesson here because the devastation is overwhelming," Porter said.
Deputy Utah County attorney Charlotte Howard-Saguibo said in the four months Alexis lived, she experienced parental neglect and torture. She said it was clear from the injuries that her abuse was a "prolonged series of events."
"Alexis Berry will never know what it's like to fall in love, but more importantly she will never know what it's like to be loved," she said.
Howard said Berry's actions were not a mistake, but were direct action. She said the innate bond between a father and child should have stopped him from abusing his daughter, but it didn't.
"The defendant failed his child, he failed his family, he failed humanity and his actions contradict everything that we know," she said.
She said when he first talked to doctors, Berry tried to make it look like his daughter had just died in her crib, but later he started to talk about the abuse. She said as he was demonstrating slamming her against the edge of a crib to officers with a doll, the force he used was "shocking," and an officer reported he was afraid the man would break the doll.
Howard said she thinks his admissions minimized the abuse, and spoke about several hemorrhages in Alexis' brain, retinal detachment, and severe rashes showing she was not washed or changed. She said this is not just a shaken baby case.
"Alexis didn't stand a chance, not a chance," she said. "She was left quite literally to sit in her injuries over a significant portion of her life."
She expressed hope that Berry will serve more time in prison than 25 years, saying that it seems like just a blink of an eye and the gravity of the crime merits more.
"I hope that he remembers that the life that was lost here will never reach 25. Alexis' life will never truly start, will never truly begin. ... The defendant took the life of a precious innocent baby girl. Her life mattered," Howard said.
Berry's attorney, Bryan Sidwell, encouraged the judge not to recommend any more time than 25 years, saying they had all agreed to that sentence beforehand.
Berry declined to speak at the sentencing, offering a "no, thank you," when given the opportunity.
Porter did not encourage the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole to hold Berry in custody longer than 25 years, noting that she agreed to the plea deal before it was entered — including eliminating the possible penalty of life in prison without parole.
The judge did, however, encourage the board to look through the medical examiner's report for Alexis when considering any possible parole for Berry.
"I absolutely want the board to understand what went on with this little girl," she said.
Berry was given credit toward his sentence for the year he has already spent in jail on the case.
The girl's mother, Myra Jane Megan, 26, was also charged after police said she knew that Berry had been abusive to the child and did not report it. She pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse and obstruction of justice, third-degree felonies, and was sentenced in June to consecutive terms of zero to five years in prison.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
Help with Children
Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:
- The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
- Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
- The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development,much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
- The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child's mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.
