Baby violently shaken: couple pleads guilty and sentenced

The Haitian couple arrested in Tampa Bay, Florida in November 2008 after 9 months of evading the police pleaded guilty for the reduced charge of manslaughter in connection with the death of a nine month old infant. The incident happened in an apartment on Airlie Street in LaSalle on February 16, 2008.

The accused - Casy Pierre Mesidor, 28 years old and Flotvelyne Jean Louis, 21 years old – were sentenced respectively to five and seven years in prison. By subtracting the period of their detention before trial, they only have two and a half years and four years respectively to remain behind bars. Mrs. Jean Louis received a stiffer sentence because she admitted striking her baby son, Ryan. Casy Pierre Mesidor was not the baby’s father but he was charged for negligence by not rescuing the baby.

The two fugitives were initially accused of non-premeditated murder but because evidence showed that they had no intention of killing the infant and had no past criminal record, the Crown reduced the charge to manslaughter.

It was in the morning of February 16, 2008 that an ambulance was called to the apartment on Airlie Street. The nine-month old baby was suffering from several broken bones, cerebral hemorrhage, and had bruises on his body. Suffering from respiratory problems, he was taken to the Children’s Montreal Hospital, obviously a victim of violent shaking. He died in the hospital some 10 days later.

The two suspects were pursued by police for nine months. It was only in November 2008 that the couple was arrested in a place on Jefferson Commons Drive in Tampa Bay, Florida. During the surprise visit by police, the couple tried to hide under a mattress but were caught on the spot. Police officers from the United States Marshals Service and Immigration led the operation. It looked like Mesidor had already lived in Tampa Bay previously because he had a Florida driver’s licence.