MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – A Berkeley County man will serve 40 years in prison for the April 2014 death of 21-month-old Sydney Malee, who he had been babysitting.
A jury convicted Joshua McDonough, 28, of one felony count of death of a child by parent, guardian or custodian by child abuse in February.
Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney Pamela Games-Neely said McDonough is not a monster, but did commit a monstrous act.
“He’s a little different than some other people we’ve seen,” she told MetroNews affiliate WEPM. “He didn’t go there that day to kill this child.”
Games-Neely says Monsters are different.
“They do this systematically to children,” Games-Neely said. “This appears to be a single event.”
Still, Games-Neely said she and the family were pleased McDonough received the maximum sentence for the crime.
McDonough was ordered to serve the sentence after he completes an unrelated prison term of one to five years for a 2009 unlawful-assault conviction
A medical examiner determined Sydney Malee died April 3, 2014 after suffering blunt force trauma to her head and neck areas along with other injuries.