KYNDRA BILLIG - 27 Days (2007) - Seguin (NE of San Antonio) TX

A jury has convicted a 34-year-old Seguin man of a lesser
charge over the death of his girlfriend's 27-day-old daughter.
Michael League was acquitted of capital murder Tuesday night, but
convicted of reckless injury to a child using a deadly weapon, his hands.
The penalty phase was scheduled Wednesday. League faces up to 99 years in prison.
The case involve the 2007 death of Kyndra Billig. A police
affidavit indicates League says he shook the baby when she wouldn't stop
crying and tossed her on an ottoman.
An autopsy revealed the girl suffered a fractured skull, a blood
clot and a broken collarbone.
Defense attorney Gina Jones says League and the girl's mother had
been together, on and off, for several years and he intended to raise
the baby as his own.

A Guadalupe County district court jury sentenced Michael League to 20
years in prison Wednesday for the death of his former girlfriend's
27-day-old baby more than three years ago. The jury found League,
34, guilty of reckless injury to a child using a deadly weapon after
deliberating more than 8 hours Tuesday. It was one of three
charges he had faced, including capital murder and injury to a child by
criminal negligence. According to trial evidence, around 5 a.m.
on April 10, 2007, League couldn't stop Lisa Billig's daughter, Kyndra
Billig, from crying. He lost control, shook and tossed her onto an
ottoman, then noticed she was limp and bleeding from her mouth. The
Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office said the cause of death was
trauma to the head. She was taken to Methodist Children's Hospital of
South Texas where two days later she was taken off of life support and
died. The six men and six women deliberated less than two hours
on the sentencing verdict that state District Judge W.C. Kirkendall
announced just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. When Kirkendall read
the verdict, the courtroom was silent, except for a woman who whispered,
“Thank you.” League sat motionless as Kirkendall told the jury
he had never seen a “more hard-working and conscientious jury.” Earlier
that morning, League's attorneys, Gina Jones and William Maynard III,
requested the jury consider community supervision instead of a prison
term. “We want you to consider that Michael League is also a
son, a brother, a friend, who until this indictment, never had a
problem,” Jones said. She added that under community
supervision, “everyone in the community would be watching him.” Prosecutor
Larry Bloomquist and Bill Squires III offered the jury another picture
of League, as a Guadalupe County Jail inmate. They brought Capt. Greg
Martin, in charge of jail security operations, to the stand. He said
League was not a model inmate during his 1,134 days of incarceration.
Martin told the jury about 19 incidents that League admitted to by
signing waivers, ranging from yelling at another inmate and his family,
to pushing a guard's arm once. “Send a message,” Bloomquist said
to the jury. “That if you act like an animal, we will cage you like an
animal.” Kyndra's great-aunt, Sandra Henry, said her family
wanted a tougher sentence, but they would stand behind the jury's
decision. Henry said they were happy with him just being “behind bars,”
and “away from another kid.” Jury foreman, Jack Muckleroy said
the seven-day trial was an ordeal. “I hope I never will have
another life in my hands again,” Muckleroy said as he left the jury
room. District Attorney Heather Hollub said League wouldn't be
eligible for parole for 10 years because of the deadly weapons charge.
She credited her team for their work over the past three years.
“I thought they did a fabulous job,” Hollub said. “It was a tough
case. It's been on our docket since 2007. We're very satisfied, justice
was served for Kyndra.”