Why Not The Death Penalty?
By: Tommy “Tj” Sotomayor

Babysitter jailed for shaking baby so hard her spine shattered – then leaving her for 24 hours to die in agony

A BABYSITTER has been jailed for 25 years for shaking a three-month-old baby so violently the child’s spine shattered.

Samantha Klein, 31, left little Alaya Foster to die in agony and failed to get her any medical help for 24 hours.

Klein pleaded guilty to manslaughter in October – six months after Alaya died from the injuries she suffered at her home in Niagara Falls, New York.

Alaya was found to have suffered a bleed on the brain, a fractured skull and damage to her spinal cord.

Klein is believed to have injured Alaya within hours of taking her in at around 9pm on February 21.

In the early hours of February 22, Klein used her mobile to Google the symptoms of seizures and a child not being conscious.

Later that day, Klein reportedly spoke to Alaya’s mom on the phone, but did not say anything was wrong.

Klein finally called 911 in the early hours of February 23 and Alaya was rushed to hospital “unresponsive”.

She died shortly after from her horrific injuries.

For months, Klein denied having any role in Alaya’s death and even went on TV to proclaim her innocence.

She told a TV station: “I did nothing to that baby.”

The babysitter claimed a bruise on the infant’s face was there when her mother, Dominique Hilson, dropped her off for a two-day stay.

Klein initially she only noticed anything was wrong when she went to put her to bed on the second day.

“I kissed her on her forehead and she was just cold,” she said.

“I started screaming and I had my friend call 911 and I started panicking.

“I didn’t know what to do.”

You killed an innocent, helpless childAlaya’s Grandma

She also said she had “loved” Alaya and that she feared for her own safety after becoming “known as a baby killer”.

But in October, Klein entered a guilty plea to a charge of first-degree manslaughter.

She admitted to causing Alaya’s injuries by shaking the baby and using blunt force trauma.

On Tuesday, Niagara County Judge Matthew Murphy sentenced Klein to 25 years in prison – the maximum term she could impose.

The baby’s grandma, Crystal Dusen, blasted Klein during the hearing.

“You are an evil monster and we believe you are a dangerous person because you killed an innocent, helpless child who could not defend herself,” she said.

Judge Murphy asked Klein why she waited a day to get help for the infant after realising she was injured.

“Why didn’t you call her mother or her grandmother?” questioned the judge.

“I didn’t know that the injuries were that bad,” replied Klein.

“I honestly didn’t know what was even wrong with her.”

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“Well if you didn’t know…why didn’t you do something to help her?” Murphy asked.

“I don’t know,” Klein responded.

Upon imposing sentencing, the judge called Klein’s actions “reckless” and the death of the baby “senseless”.