EMILY SCOTT COOK - 17 Months (2009)/ Convicted: Mother's BF; Donald Lance Crawford - Jacksonville FL

A medical examiner testified Tuesday that a 17-month-old girl whom
the state says was strangled by her mother’s boyfriend had 32 bruises on
her body, indicating she was abused.

The boyfriend, Donald Lance Crawford, 30, is charged with
second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the May 5, 2009,
death of Emily Scott Cook.

Prosecutors said Crawford was the only person who came in contact
with Emily during a nearly three-hour nap when the strangulation
occurred.

The case weighs heavily on testimony from medical examiner Valerie
Rao, who said Emily died from asphyxiation. Rao said among the bruises
on the toddler’s body were several on her neck. She said she found
hemorrhaging from her eyes and neck muscles, pointing overwhelmingly
toward strangulation.

Crawford lived with Emily’s mother, Daphne Cook, and her three
daughters at Mission Pointe Apartments at 12450 Biscayne Blvd. It was
also common for Crawford’s son to regularly spend the night at their
apartment, according to the defense.

With Crawford’s son and her oldest daughter, Sabrina, away at school,
Cook testified that she laid her two other girls down for a nap shortly
after lunch, with Emily in her crib.

At about 1:30 p.m., she woke her middle daughter, Madison, from her
nap and took her to a birthday party for Sabrina at her school, leaving
Crawford alone in the apartment with Emily.

Defense attorneys said Crawford kept a door to Emily’s room open to
listen out for her as she slept while he played video games in another
room.

Cook said she returned around 3 p.m. and began preparing a dinner for a family gathering to again celebrate Sabrina’s birthday.

While she was cooking, she said she told Crawford to go wake Emily
up. Moments later, he emerged from the room with Emily, yelling that
something was wrong.

She said they took Emily to the dining room, where they both tried to
perform CPR, thinking she was choking on the milk she had before her
nap.

She said when Emily would not respond, she screamed for help and called 911.

A neighbor, Akia Powell, heard her calls for help and rushed to the
upstairs apartment, as she testified Tuesday. At the time, Powell was
learning to become a paramedic and was trained in CPR.

Powell said when she made it to Cook’s apartment, she saw Crawford
pounding on Emily’s back as he held her over a tub in the bathroom,
saying she was choking.

She said Crawford threw the toddler into her arms from a distance of
about three feet. Powell said she performed CPR despite Emily showing no
signs of life.

Powell testified that another neighbor who was a registered nurse
came into the apartment and tried unsuccessfully to revive the child.
Soon, police and rescue arrived and rushed a lifeless Emily to the
hospital where she was pronounced dead at 4:26 p.m.

Defense attorneys pointed toward Cook’s calls to help her choking
daughter as well as a white substance that came from her mouth during
CPR as evidence that Emily’s suffocation was a result of her choking on
her milk.

However, Rao said vomiting is commonly found with children who are strangled and no milk was found in Emily’s lungs.

The defense also made note of the five attempts at CPR as a possible cause for Emily’s bruising.

The trial is expected to go to the jury today.

Read more at Jacksonville.com:  http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-09-13/story/trial-man-accused-strangling-toddler-begins#ixzz1XtXEqx91

A medical examiner testified Tuesday that a 17-month-old girl who the
state says was strangled by her mother's boyfriend had 32 bruises on
her body, indicating she was abused.

The boyfriend, Donald Lance Crawford, 30, is charged with
second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the May 5, 2009,
death of Emily Scott Cook.

Prosecutors said Crawford was the only person who came in contact
with Emily during a nearly three-hour nap when the strangulation
occurred.

The case weighs heavily on testimony from Medical Examiner Valerie
Rao, who said Emily died from asphyxiation. Rao said among the bruises
on the toddler's body were several on her neck. She said she found
hemorrhaging from her eyes and neck muscles, pointing overwhelmingly
toward strangulation.

Crawford lived with Emily's mother, Daphne Cook, and her three
daughters at Mission Pointe Apartments at 12450 Biscayne Blvd. It was
also common for Crawford's son to regularly spend the night at their
apartment, according to the defense.

With Crawford's son and her oldest daughter, Sabrina, away at school,
Cook testified that she laid her two other girls down for a nap shortly
after lunch, with Emily in her crib.

About 1:30 p.m., she woke her middle daughter, Madison, from her nap
and took her to a birthday party for Sabrina at her school, leaving
Crawford alone in the apartment with Emily.

Defense attorneys said Crawford kept a door to Emily's room open to
listen out for her as she slept while he played video games in another
room.

Cook said she returned about 3 p.m. and began preparing a dinner for a family gathering to again celebrate Sabrina's birthday.

While she was cooking, she said she told Crawford to go wake Emily
up. Moments later, he emerged from the room with Emily, yelling that
something was wrong.

She said they took Emily to the dining room, where they both tried to
perform CPR, thinking she was choking on the milk she had before her
nap.

She said when Emily would not respond, she screamed for help and called 911.

A neighbor, Akia Powell, testified Tuesday she heard her calls for
help and rushed to the upstairs apartment. At the time, Powell was
learning to become a paramedic and was trained in CPR.

Powell said when she made it to Cook's apartment, she saw Crawford
pounding on Emily's back as he held her over a tub in the bathroom,
saying she was choking.

She said Crawford threw the toddler into her arms from a distance of
about three feet. Powell said she performed CPR despite Emily showing no
signs of life.

Powell testified that another neighbor who was a registered nurse
came into the apartment and tried unsuccessfully to revive the child.
Soon, police and rescue arrived and took her to the hospital where she
was pronounced dead at 4:26 p.m.

Defense attorneys pointed toward Cook's calls to help her choking
daughter as well as a white substance that came from her mouth during
CPR as evidence that Emily's suffocation was a result of her choking on
her milk.

However, Rao said vomiting is commonly found with children who are strangled and no milk was found in Emily's lungs.

The defense also made note of the five attempts at CPR as a possible cause for Emily's bruising.

The trial is expected to go to the jury today.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-09-13/story/medical-examiner-testifies-about-signs-duval-toddler-was-strangled#ixzz1XzLaM4u3

Medical examiner testifies about signs Duval toddler was strangled
Mother's boyfriend accused of abusing and killing 17-month-old girl.

Posted: September 13, 2011 - 7:04pm
Updated: September 14, 2011 - 6:00am

By Charles Broward

A medical examiner testified Tuesday that a 17-month-old girl who the state says was strangled by her mother's boyfriend had 32 bruises on her body, indicating she was abused.

The boyfriend, Donald Lance Crawford, 30, is charged with second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the May 5, 2009, death of Emily Scott Cook.

Prosecutors said Crawford was the only person who came in contact with Emily during a nearly three-hour nap when the strangulation occurred.

The case weighs heavily on testimony from Medical Examiner Valerie Rao, who said Emily died from asphyxiation. Rao said among the bruises on the toddler's body were several on her neck. She said she found hemorrhaging from her eyes and neck muscles, pointing overwhelmingly toward strangulation.

Crawford lived with Emily's mother, Daphne Cook, and her three daughters at Mission Pointe Apartments at 12450 Biscayne Blvd. It was also common for Crawford's son to regularly spend the night at their apartment, according to the defense.

With Crawford's son and her oldest daughter, Sabrina, away at school, Cook testified that she laid her two other girls down for a nap shortly after lunch, with Emily in her crib.

About 1:30 p.m., she woke her middle daughter, Madison, from her nap and took her to a birthday party for Sabrina at her school, leaving Crawford alone in the apartment with Emily.

Defense attorneys said Crawford kept a door to Emily's room open to listen out for her as she slept while he played video games in another room.

Cook said she returned about 3 p.m. and began preparing a dinner for a family gathering to again celebrate Sabrina's birthday.

While she was cooking, she said she told Crawford to go wake Emily up. Moments later, he emerged from the room with Emily, yelling that something was wrong.

She said they took Emily to the dining room, where they both tried to perform CPR, thinking she was choking on the milk she had before her nap.

She said when Emily would not respond, she screamed for help and called 911.

A neighbor, Akia Powell, testified Tuesday she heard her calls for help and rushed to the upstairs apartment. At the time, Powell was learning to become a paramedic and was trained in CPR.

Powell said when she made it to Cook's apartment, she saw Crawford pounding on Emily's back as he held her over a tub in the bathroom, saying she was choking.

She said Crawford threw the toddler into her arms from a distance of about three feet. Powell said she performed CPR despite Emily showing no signs of life.

Powell testified that another neighbor who was a registered nurse came into the apartment and tried unsuccessfully to revive the child. Soon, police and rescue arrived and took her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead at 4:26 p.m.

Defense attorneys pointed toward Cook's calls to help her choking daughter as well as a white substance that came from her mouth during CPR as evidence that Emily's suffocation was a result of her choking on her milk.

However, Rao said vomiting is commonly found with children who are strangled and no milk was found in Emily's lungs.

The defense also made note of the five attempts at CPR as a possible cause for Emily's bruising.

The trial is expected to go to the jury today.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-09-13/story/medical-examiner-testifies-about-signs-duval-toddler-was-strangled#ixzz2w9DcwGUj

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-09-13/story/medical-examiner-testifies-about-signs-duval-toddler-was-strangled

Jacksonville man convicted of strangling girlfriend's toddler

Posted: September 14, 2011 - 10:39pm
Updated: September 15, 2011 - 9:50am
By Charles Broward

Jeremy Cook went home Wednesday night with an answer in the death of his 17-month-old daughter after more than two years of waiting.

His answer came when a Jacksonville jury convicted Donald Lance Crawford for the May 2005 murder of his daughter, Emily Scott Cook.

“I’m happy with the outcome,” Cook said. “It’s justice for my little baby.”

Prosecutors said Crawford, 30, strangled Emily as she napped in her crib May 5, 2009, while her mother was away at her oldest sister’s birthday party.

State medical examiner Valerie Rao testified that she found 32 bruises on Emily’s body, including some on her neck during an autopsy. She also found hemorrhaging in her eyes and neck muscles.

Rao ruled her cause of death as asphyxiation from strangulation, noting the bruises as a sign of abuse.

The defense said Rao’s findings were more inconclusive than conclusive and found an inaccuracy in her report pertaining to the toddler’s teeth.

Crawford was the boyfriend who lived with Emily’s mother, Daphne Cook, and her three daughters at Mission Pointe Apartments on Biscayne Boulevard. The defense said Crawford listened for Emily while he played video games during an 1 1/2-hour gap when he was the only one home with the toddler.

Cook testified Tuesday that when she returned from the party she asked Crawford to wake Emily up from a nearly three-hour nap.

When he came out yelling that something was wrong, she said they both attempted CPR, thinking she was choking on her milk.

Two neighbors also tried to revive Emily, but she was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Crawford was arrested in August 2009, charged with second-degree murder and child abuse.

The jury took less than two hours to find him guilty. His defense attorney, Michael I. Bateh, said he will likely file an appeal.

Prosecutor Alan Mizrahi said to kill a child is “murdering the most vulnerable in our society.”

When Jeremy Cook was asked about the memory he holds of his daughter, it took him just five words to sum it up.

“She was my little angel.”

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-09-14/story/jacksonville-man-convicted-strangling-girlfriends-toddler#ixzz2w9DszvgY