'Guilty': Murderer Of 3-Year-Old Boy Convicted By Jury In Orange County: DA

MIDDLETOWN, NY — An Orange County man who murdered an innocent child could spend the rest of his days behind bars.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that 26-year-old Gionni Sellers, of Middletown, was convicted on Friday after a jury trial of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter, for the murder of a three-year-old child.

Sellers faces up to 25 years to life in prison when he is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10. He was remanded back to the Orange County Jail without bail after the jury's verdict.

According to court documents, in May and June of 2022, Sellers was responsible for watching his girlfriend's three-year-old son, Xavier Johnson.

In June, police responded to the home and found the child unresponsive and not breathing. Despite the efforts of the first responders, the child was pronounced dead upon arriving at the hospital.

Authorities say that an investigation found that in the days leading up to the child's death, Sellers inflicted blunt force trauma to the boy's head and torso. "The devastating injuries caused grievous harm throughout the child's body, including severe trauma to the child's brain, which ultimately caused his death," according to the DA's Office.

Prosecutors say that Sellers' phone revealed internet searches such as "why do younger men want to hurt baby" and "baby breathing heavy after being shook."

According to the DA's Office, "the jury unanimously concluded, after less than an hour of deliberations, that the People proved, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Sellers had recklessly engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of death to the child, under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life, and thereby caused the death of the child."

The investigation was conducted by the Town of Wallkill Police Department, with assistance from the New York State Police, the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center, and the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Hoovler thanked all the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation which led to the arrest and conviction of Sellers.

"The conduct of this defendant, as proven beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury of his peers, showed that this defendant's depraved and wicked actions caused the senseless death of a vulnerable child," Hoovler said. "I said at the outset of this case, and I now reiterate that my Office, together with our law enforcement partners, demanded justice for the victim in this case to give voice to the voiceless. It is through the dedication and hard work of both police and prosecutors that this defendant has been held to account for his horrendous crimes."

SEE ALSO: Middletown Man Charged With Murder Of 3-Year-Old