Rehoboth man pleads guilty to killing son
A 22-year-old Rehoboth Beach man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder by abuse and second-degree assault in the death of his three-month-old son last May.
Sidney G. Davis will be sentenced by Delaware Superior Court Judge T. Henley Graves Friday, June 12. Department of Justice spokesman Carl Kanefsky said Davis could face 10 to 33 years in prison.
Davis’s attorney, Rob Robinson of the Public Defender’s Office, said Davis’ state of mind was one of criminal negligence not recklessness, which marks the difference between first and second-degree charges. He said there was never any allegation that Davis intended to kill his son and that in light of the evidence and circumstances, the plea was a fair and reasonable result for both sides.
Court records say on May 13, Davis was watching his twin boys at the Sea Esta IV motel in Dewey Beach when one boy, Zhaden, became upset and started crying. Davis told police he began shaking the child in an attempt to quiet him. Zhaden’s mother, who had been visiting her grandmother, returned at 10:30 and found the other twin sleeping and Zhaden whining, but otherwise OK.
The child's mother left for work shortly thereafter, and Davis admitted to shaking Zhaden again until he fell asleep. Davis told police he took a shower and later discovered Zhaden was not breathing. He suffered traumatic brain bleeding, three left-side rib fractures, massive retinal hemorrhages and subdural hematoma in the brain.
Davis was originally charged with first-degree murder by neglect or abuse. The other twin was unharmed. Kanefsky had no further comment on the case because a presentence investigation is underway.
