Plea Bargain for Mom who Killed, Refrigerated Baby

MOUNT VERNON, NY — The 27-year-old whose baby's body had been kept in the refrigerator pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of first-degree manslaughter, a felony.

She had originally been charged 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

Deasia Bartee of 210 Washington Street, Mount Vernon, New York appeared before Judge Barbara Zambelli in the death of Samia Yusuf.

Mount Vernon police began investigating Bartee after a 911 call was received at 5:21 a.m. Aug. 5, 2016 for an unresponsive child "who had died in her sleep."

The officers responded to 210 Washington Street where they found the victim, a 14-month-old. 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 baby 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.

The child's cause of death was blunt force trauma of the body with a fracture dislocation of the lumbar spine and internal bleeding; however, she was also significantly underweight and malnourished, weighing only 14 pounds, according to the Medical Examiner.

Bartee, when interviewed by detectives, implicated herself in the death of her child, said Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. She stated that she repeatedly struck the victim on the back with her hand.

Bartee, who remains in jail, faces a maximum of 25 years in state prison. She will be sentenced on March 21, 2017

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

SEE ALSO

• Mount Vernon Mom Indicted in 1-Year-Old's Death, Freezing
• Toddler Dead, Mom Arrested in Mount Vernon