Life Sentence in Murder of Baby Niece

BEL AIR, MD - A Forest Hill man was sentenced on his 22nd birthday to life in jail for the murder of his infant niece.

Colin Christopher Wolf, formerly of the 2000 block of Bay Meadows Court, pleaded guilty Friday in Harford County Circuit Court to the first-degree murder of his two-month-old niece Aubree Roberts, who died in April 2013.

Wolf spoke softly and in two-word answers as the judge questioned him to make sure he understood the plea agreement. When asked if he believed he was guilty, Wolf swallowed and said: “Yes, ma’am.”

He received a life sentence with all but 33 years suspended, followed by five years of probation.

Related: Forest Hill Man Charged in Death of Infant Niece

For the most part, Wolf’s attorney spoke on his behalf as an expressionless Wolf stood, hands cuffed in front of him, in white sneakers, black pants and a black hoodie.

“This is certainly a difficult day for everyone involved,” Deputy District Public Defender John Janowich said for Wolf. He added that it was Wolf’s 22nd birthday.

Janowich said the family was “simply too distraught to be here today” for the hearing. Patch and one person involved in the case were the only ones in attendance.

In One Hour, a Life Gone

Deputy State’s Attorney Diana Brooks read a statement of facts in court that said Wolf had been left alone for one hour with his infant niece, Aubree, in the Forest Hill home he shared with his mother and sister on April 18, 2013.

Two-month-old Aubree was sleeping in her bassinet at 9:50 p.m. when Wolf’s mother and sister Hannah left, the statement of facts said.

When Colin Wolf’s mother returned home at 10:50 p.m.—after dropping Hannah off at her boyfriend’s house in Edgewood—the baby was in a different position and was bleeding and bruised, Brooks said.

Wolf had a plastic grocery bag in hand and told her he was going to take the trash out. He was later found at a friend’s house in the 1800 block of Trudeau Court in Forest Hill, where he was taken into custody for questioning.

Baby Aubree, still breathing, was taken by ambulance to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, then transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she died, Brooks said.

The medical examiner ruled her death a homicide from head injuries, which caused her brain to hemorrhage, according to Brooks.

Wolf admitted he sprayed Axe deodorant body spray into the baby’s mouth and punched her in the face, and blood stains on his clothing matched the baby’s DNA, according to the statement of facts.

“He stated that he was upset with his sister,” telling detectives that his sister did not deserve to have a baby, Brooks said. The father of the baby was his sister’s boyfriend, whom he disliked, according to the state’s attorney.

Competent to Stand Trial

Initially after he was charged, Wolf was found not competent to stand trial, according to the state’s attorney, which reports he has a ”long documented history of mental issues relating to learning disabilities, ADHD and anger issues.”

The judge ordered periodic evaluations to assess his situation, and an evaluation from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene dated Dec. 11, 2015, indicated he was competent, Judge Angela Eaves said.

He was also evaluated over the summer and deemed competent, the state’s attorney reported.

Wolf acknowledged that he did have some challenges, including intellectual and mental, telling the court he was taking medication, clarifying that it did not impact his ability to think clearly.

Wolf’s attorney attested to the fact that his client was able to understand what was happening and was competent.

“He knows this decision will affect the rest of his life,” Janowich said of accepting the plea agreement. “His comments to me were that he was ready to do his time,” and he regretted and accepted responsibility for his actions.

33-Year Sentence, Troubling Evidence

Wolf has been held without bail since April 2013, and will be credited for time served, Judge Eaves said.

He will serve his sentence for first-degree murder at the Patuxent Institution in Jessup, where he can receive therapeutic and other services, according to Janowich, who said the “good part” about the sentencing is he will be relatively “young” when he is released. Wolf will be 52 years old.

Assistant State’s Attorney Christopher Smith said the state will not agree to any modifications in sentence down the line.

Sentencing guidelines call for a life sentence, suspending all but 20 to 30 years, and the state exceeded the recommended sentence due to evidence found at Wolf’s home, he said.

Deputies executing a search warrant at Wolf’s home found a written “hit list” of people he wanted to “hunt,” Smith said.

While Wolf had no prior criminal record, Smith said the state’s attorney subpoenaed his records and found Wolf been cited for bad behavior at school 23 times, including once for bringing a knife.

After his release, Wolf will be on probation for five years, which Smith said was the maximum allowed.

Prior to his release, Wolf will be required to have a mental health evaluation to determine what treatment is necessary.

“Aubree’s not gotten a first birthday,” Smith said, responding to the fact that the hearing was on Wolf’s birthday.

“He has an anger problem,” Smith said, “and this is how he dealt with it.”