Kristel Candelario, a 32-year-old single mother from Ohio, decided to take a 10-day long vacation to Detroit and Puerto Rico on June 6, 2023. Instead of arranging proper care for her 16-month-old daughter, she left the child alone at home, unattended and without supervision.
Upon her return on June 16, Candelario discovered her daughter had died. She was sentenced to life in prison for her negligent actions. Candelario pleaded guilty in February to charges of aggravated murder and endangering children linked to the tragic death of her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn, last year.
Dr. Elizabeth Mooney, the deputy Cuyahoga County medical examiner, testified in court on Monday and revealed the tragic cause of Jailyn’s death. Mooney said that the 16-month-old died from starvation and severe dehydration resulting from pediatric neglect. The medical examiner ruled the manner of death as homicide.
Mooney described the harrowing condition in which Jailyn was found. She said Jailyn was discovered lying on a mattress, surrounded by urine and feces. “Animals take care of their infants better,” she said.
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She said the toddler was extremely dehydrated and emaciated. At the time of her death, Jailyn weighed a mere 13 pounds, decreasing from 7 pounds from her weight during her last doctor’s visit less than two months before her passing.
“The pain and suffering she endured lasted not only hours, not days, but possibly even a week,” Mooney said while fighting back tears. “This feeling of abandonment for days on end, coupled with the pain of starvation and extreme thirst is a type of suffering I don’t think any of us could ever fully fathom.”
Candelario told the court on Monday that “every day I ask forgiveness from God and from my daughter Jailyn.” She also pleaded for forgiveness from her other daughter and her parents during her court appearance on Monday.
Candelario’s attorney, Derek Smith, acknowledged that there was no justification for her actions. He said that Candelario was struggling emotionally and felt overwhelmed as a single mother raising two children.
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Smith revealed to the court that Candelario had previously attempted to harm herself in 2023. She had been prescribed antidepressants but stopped taking them suddenly without reducing the dosage as recommended.
This sudden stop could lead to adverse side effects and impaired judgment, according to Smith. He argued that Candelario’s actions were a result of her emotional distress and impaired cognitive function at the time.
“I am not trying to justify my actions, but nobody knew how much I was suffering and what I was going through,” Candelario said through an interpreter. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Brendan Sheehan scolded her as he gave her the sentence.
“The bond between a mother and a child is one of the most purest and most sacred bonds. It’s a relationship built on love, trust, and unwavering protection. You committed the ultimate act of betrayal,” Sheehan said.
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“That little baby persevered, waiting for someone to save her. And you could have done that with a simple phone call. Instead, I see photos of you on a beach while your child was eating her own feces in an attempt to survive.” The judge then sentenced her to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“Just as you didn’t let Jailyn out of her confinement until she died, so too you should spend the rest of your life in a cell without freedom,” Sheehan said. “The only difference is that prison will at least feed you.”
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