DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A Decatur father admitted to beating his 4-year-old daughter in the investigation of her death and was sentenced to prison.Â
Tuesday night marked the five-year anniversary of the Aug. 31, 2016 death of Amarrah Reynolds. Darrell Reynolds Jr., now 34, was charged with first-degree murder in the case.
In July, he pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated battery to a child, a Class X felony count, and two murder charges against him were dismissed. He was sentenced to 14 1/2 years in prison, to be followed by three years of parole.Â
The court credited him for time served from Aug. 31, 2016 to July 14, 2021. He must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence.Â
In the investigation into Amarrah's death, the Macon County coroner released a preliminary autopsy report showing she had acute subdural hemorrhages to the brain and multiple contusions consistent with blunt force head trauma. The coroner told WAND News extensive injuries to the body are consistent with non-accidental, inflicted trauma.Â
Decatur police said in a sworn affidavit they responded to Decatur Memorial Hospital on Aug. 31, 2016 for a report of an unresponsive child. Police said they discovered "numerous areas of scabbing and bruising covering Amarrah's entire body" along with "a concentrated area of healing and fresh wounds on the inside of her thighs."Â
When officers interviewed Darrell Reynolds, they said he made statements that Amarrah "had been 'acting up' lately and putting her in 'time out' was not working." Police said he stated he hit Amarrah with a black belt so many times he "lost count."Â
He told detectives she suddenly seemed "dazed" and fell over, hitting her head on the television, wall and floor. According to police, he had made several statements at the hospital about how he "knew it was abuse" and that he was "sorry."Â
