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Father gets 9 to 18 years in child's death
Although Ryan W. Workman's family pleaded for leniency, Judge Steve P. Leskinen said the jury's verdict in September indicated a finding of malice in the death of Alexis Workman on Aug. 3, 2004.
An autopsy showed the baby died from a skull fracture and internal head injuries. State police at Belle Vernon reported that Workman admitted shaking the colicky child repeatedly two days earlier when she would not stop crying during a weekend in his care.
Workman also confessed to dropping Alexis about two feet into a child's plastic swing seat at his parents' Grindstone, Jefferson Township, home, police have said.
Any adult "who did not act rationally, with restraint," could easily cause the death of an infant, Leskinen said Tuesday. Still, the death could have been prevented by Workman, he said.
"While it is more excusable than intentional homicide, it is still inexcusable," the judge said.
Workman did not testify during the trial, but apologized yesterday for what he called a "tragic accident." He said he would die for his family, which includes a 2-year-old, Erica.
"I would never, ever in my wildest dreams ever put them in harm's way," Workman said of his children.
He didn't use his statement to Leskinen to elaborate about the girl's injuries or how they might have occurred.
During the five-day trial, Public Defender Susan Ritz Harper repeatedly insisted investigators failed to properly notify Workman of his Miranda rights when they interviewed him at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Although prosecution witnesses detailed the massive injuries to Alexis' head, the testimony was unable to confirm that Workman had dropped the child.
A forensic pathologist from Pittsburgh testified Alexis died of non-accidental injuries caused when she was thrust by an adult against an "unyielding, firm surface."
However, Alexis' injuries -- a swollen brain and retinal hemorrhages -- were consistent with those of Shaken Baby Syndrome. The director of the Child Advocacy Center at Children's Hospital testified that Alexis was severely shaken into a comatose state.
Relatives testified that Alexis had been diagnosed with gastro-esophageal reflux disease, commonly described as the backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus.
During yesterday's hearing, Workman's immediate family and a former employer described him as a doting father and kind person.
His mother, Sandra Workman, said he was the backbone of the family when she and her husband were having marital problems.
"He's not a bad boy. He's a good boy," Sandra Workman said. "He's a good father, and he would continue to be a good father to Erica if he was given an opportunity to."
Alexis' mother, Jennifer Workman, was not in court yesterday. She lives in Pitcairn, Allegheny County, with Erica.
Jennifer Workman's sister, Laura Lackner, was the only witness offered by the prosecution yesterday.
"A baby got taken from us for a bad reason," Lackner said.
