MARIA HARRIS - 1 yo (2008) - Palm Harbor/ Largo FL

LARGO --

After deliberating for 22 hours, a jury found a former Palm
Harbor day care owner guilty of manslaughter in the 2008 death of a
1-year-old girl left in her care.

They reached a verdict around 5 p.m. Thursday.

Stephanie Spurgeon, 40, faces 15 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for May 7.

The judge denied Spurgeon's request to remain on bond until sentencing.

Spurgeon was being tried for first-degree murder in the Aug.
21, 2008 death of 1-year-old Maria Harris, who was dropped off at
Spurgeon's in-home day care on Edgehill Drive in Palm Harbor.

Maria was unresponsive that evening when her grandmother arrived to pick her up.

In closing arguments Tuesday, Assistant State Attorney Holly
Grissinger spoke to the jury about how Maria Harris died. “Cause of
death: blunt force trauma,” Grissinger said. “Manner: homicide.”

Defense attorney Ron Kurpiers said there is no proof the infant was murdered.

“This is first-degree murder, so you damn well better come in
with witnesses that say ‘I saw something,’” Kurpiers said. “And they
didn’t. That’s not our problem.”

Grissinger insisted the case doesn’t rely on witnesses. “Will
we ever know exactly what happened to Maria Harris? No,” Grissinger
said. “We don’t have any witnesses. We have to rely on the medical
evidence.”

The defense insisted no expert could say exactly how Harris
died. “I asked every single one ‘What happened to this child?’” Kurpiers
said. “And every single one said I don’t know.”

Grissinger disagreed.

“Every one of them got up here and said acceleration,
deceleration, repetitive blunt force trauma,” Grissinger rebutted.
“Every single one of them.”

Earlier Tuesday, the defense called its final two witnesses, and the prosecution called a rebuttal witness.

One of the defense witnesses, forensic neuropathologist Dr.
Jan Leestma, testified that the baby's injuries weren't necessarily
caused by trauma.

"There are plenty of causes for this time of problem," he
said. "I enumerated some of them, talking about the origin and
pathogenesis of blood clots in cerebral veins. And trauma could be
included in that, but it's not the only interpretation you can make."

Spurgeon was initially arrested on a charge of aggravated
child abuse and later was indicted on the murder charge. She was allowed
out of the Pinellas County Jail on $350,000 bail, and some friends and
supporters have been standing with her.

http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2012/february/382240/Jury-deliberating-continues-today-in-day-care-owner-murder-trial.html