A Waubay, South Dakota, father has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the brutal murder of his 2-year-old daughter. Mario Contreras, 36, was convicted of Second Degree Murder and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in August 2013.
The victim, born on December 31, 2009, was murdered by her father just days after she turned 2 years old on January 9, 2012. The defendant had custody of the victim from January 4th through January 9th, the date of death.
Contreras told investigators that on January 9th his daughter was having a cup of water and a banana and he left the room. He said that is when she fell off the chair and sustained the injuries that caused her death. However, an autopsy revealed 18 round bluish-colored contusions on four sides of the victim’s head, indicative of blunt force trauma.
An Assistant Medical Examiner from Ramsey County, Minnesota, concluded that the multiple contusions and resulting subdural hematoma could not have been caused by a single fall from a chair and that the cause of death was a homicide. Another government expert on child abuse also concluded that the injuries were inconsistent with falling from a chair or table.
U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Contreras was sentenced on November 25, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol to 360 months on each count to run concurrently. He was also ordered to be on federal supervised release for a period of 5 years after his release.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal Law Enforcement Services, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas J. Wright and Jay P. Miller.
The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. This senseless act of violence has left a family shattered and a community in shock.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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