Manchester Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Killing Baby

Marcus Rooks, of Manchester was found guilty Monday of first-degree manslaughter in the killing last April of his 2-month-old daughter, Adore Daniels, in Hartford.

Rooks, 32, was sentenced in state Superior Court in Hartford to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of parole, the Hartford Courant reported. Her head hit the hard bottom of a bassinette causing severe trauma that killed her nine days later, on April 22.

On April 13, Rooks was preparing to take the infant to visit his mother, but became frustrated when the girl appeared to be in a bad mood and began crying loudly. According to his arrest warrant, he admitted to police that he threw her down.

Rooks, originally charged with murder, pleaded guilty to the reduced charge under the Alford Doctrine, meaning he didn’t agree with all the state’s allegations but wanted to accept a plea agreement rather than face a trial because the prosecution could likely prove the charge. Prosecutor David Zagaja, who offered the plea, said he didn’t think he could prove Rooks meant to hurt the baby, even though his actions were reckless, according to the Courant.

For more details about this case, see the Hartford Courant article.