Mount Vernon Mom Indicted in 1-Year-Old's Death, Freezing

Deasia Bartee, 26, of 210 Washington Street, Mount Vernon, New York was arraigned Thursday on an indictment charging her with:

• one count of Murder in the Second Degree, a class “A” Felony,
• two counts of Manslaughter in the First Degree, class “B” Felonies,
• one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class “C” Felony,
• three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, class “A” Misdemeanors

in the death of her daughter, Samia Yusuf.

Acting Westchester County District Attorney James A. McCarty said that the Mount Vernon Police Department received a 911 call at 5:21 a.m. Aug. 5 for an unresponsive child who had died in her sleep.

The officers responded to 210 Washington St. where they found the victim, 14-and-a-half-month old Samia, in a play pen. She was on her back with her arms rigid pointing towards the ceiling. Her left eye appeared to be swollen shut. The victim had no pulse and was lifeless.

She was extremely cold to the touch.

“It was a gruesome discovery that shocked even our most senior officers on the job,” Commissioner Ronald Fatigate said in a statement at the time. “We are providing counseling services to all officers impacted on this case and are working even harder to strengthen our relationship with the community to help families in need.”

The victim was taken to Mount Vernon Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. The ER doctor who examined her told the police that the child was unusually cold and stated his belief the child had been dead for some time and may have been refrigerated as she was in an advanced state of decomposition.

Bartee, who was interviewed by detectives, implicated herself in the death of her child.

She was placed under arrest.

An autopsy conducted by the Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the victim’s cause of death as blunt force trauma of the body with a fracture dislocation of the lumbar spine and internal bleeding. Samia was significantly underweight and malnourished and although more than 1 year old at the time of her death, weighed only 14 pounds.

Bartee pleaded not guilty.

Bail remains at the amount previously set. Her next court date is Oct. 25, 2016.

If convicted of the charges, she faces a maximum of twenty-five years to life in state prison.

Assistant District Attorney Doreen Lloyd and Assistant District Attorney Mary Clark-DiRusso of the Special Prosecutions Division are prosecuting the case.