Man Fatally Punches 4-Month-Old Baby 22 Times For ‘Baby Talk,’ Gets 25 Years

A man who punched his infant daughter 22 times causing her death has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Cory Morris was convicted of second-degree murder last year after he told authorities that he struck his 4-month-old daughter, Emersyn, repeatedly because he could not stand her baby noises.

According to a statement made available to People magazine, Morris claimed he was watching television when his infant daughter started getting on his nerves with her baby chatter. The Minnesota man divulged that he put her on a swing to keep her quiet. When that did not work, he took her inside the bedroom and placed Emersyn on a changing table and began to brutally beat the little girl to stop her from making noise.

The medical examiner’s report revealed Emersyn had been punched 15 times in the face and seven times in the chest with a clenched fist. The Hennepin County medical examiner also confirmed that the baby girl’s death was as a result of blunt force trauma. Morris, who was 21-years-old at the time, would later call 911 and the police to tell them what he had done. First respondents that arrived on the scene found Emersyn unconscious on the changing table and her father covered in blood with his right hand swollen.

Before the medics and police officers arrived at the residence, Cory Morris also called his mother and girlfriend to tell them he had done something very bad without actually explaining what he did.

The Star Tribune is reporting that Morris battled mental illness for years and was on medication for schizophrenia. Unfortunately, it has been confirmed that he stopped taking his pills two months before he pulverized Emersyn to death. His mother, Ginny Morris, disclosed that the family had been trying to find treatment for Cory 12 months before he killed his daughter but were always turned away by medical authorities.

Ginny said, because of Cory’s mental issues, they were more concerned that he would hurt himself and not anyone else, much less his infant baby.

“We never thought he would hurt the baby. We would never allow him to be with the baby if that was the case. We were always worried he was going to hurt himself, not the baby.”

During Cory’s trial, Psychologist Lawrence Panciera testified that the murderous father was too mentally incapacitated to be held responsible for what he had done. Panciera described Morris as “delusional, irrational and unreasonable in perception.”

Cory Morris’ attempt to be found not guilty by reason of mental illness in beating death of his baby was denied. https://t.co/s0PAVgKsMC pic.twitter.com/hMdpRiZiQ2

— Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty (@HennepinAtty) May 4, 2017

However, another psychologist countered the claim arguing that Morris was well aware of what he was doing. Dr. Shane Wernsing, who testified for the prosecution, pointed out that Cory knew what he was doing was terrible because he called his wife, mother, the police and dialed 911 after the act.

Prosecutors had asked for a 40-year sentence but the presiding judge meted out the sentence recommended by the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines, which is 25 years.

[Featured Image by Toxawww/Thinkstock]