DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – A man who threw his child onto a bed and caused her death will spend decades in prison.
Duan Lewis caused the death of Daniya Lewis, his 5-month-old daughter, on March 23, 2017. He admitted to throwing the child onto a bed after the mother said she choked on formula. He earlier told officers the child “bounced” up more than once because of how hard he threw her, adding that he believed he could have “broken her neck”.
Investigators later discovered she suffered injuries that were consistent with shaken baby syndrome, which included a retinal hemorrhage, subdural hematoma on the brain and a hypoxic brain injury. She died on March 28, 2017 at HSHS St. John’s Hospital.
Lewis faced murder charges, which were dropped as part of his plea deal. He will serve a total of 20 years in prison for two counts, which include a Class X felony charge of aggravated battery to a child and a Class 2 felony charge of involuntary manslaughter.
That sentence will be followed by three years of mandatory supervised release, according to court records.
