GUILTY CA - Sophia Acosta, 3, raped, beaten to death, Exeter, 7 May 2011

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Sophia was first brought to Kaweah Delta Hospital here in Visalia before going to Valley Children's in Madera County. It was there that doctors eventually declared her brain dead. By the time Sophia arrived at Valley Children's Hospital, Dr. Kathleen Murphy could tell the little girl was gravely ill and likely already brain dead.

It's been more than five years since she treated Sophia but she still remembers her condition clearly.

"I'd like to forget but you don't forget seeing children who have been tortured," she said.

"Objection," Cheary's defense quickly said after Murphy's testimony. "Move to strike your honor."

Cheary's defense team has said there was no torture, rape, or murder and argued Sophia's death is a medical mystery. They said Sophia had a blood clotting disorder, which would explain her excessive bleeding at the hospital. But Murphy testified the condition was likely caused by traumatic injuries, such as blunt force trauma.

http://abc30.com/news/doctor-gives-...eary-murder-trial-enters-second-week/1537671/

 

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He also told his mother that it was Smith’s idea to place the child in the bath. When Cheary and Smith found the child lying on her bedroom floor, covered in vomit and feces, Smith panicked, Cheary told his mother.


Erika was yelling, “Do something, do something” and suggested to Cheary to place the child under water to try and revive her, Campahur said.


“He told me he put Sophia under the water to get her to breath,” she said. “Not to wash her off.”

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2016/10/13/defendants-mother-takes-stand/92031940/

Oh sure, he put the baby under water to get her to breathe. probably thought if he could get some water into her lungs they wouldn't notice that she had been raped both vaginally and anally, and beaten and tortured. He put that poor baby through hell before she finally gave up the battle for her precious young life.

.

 

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[h=1]

[/h][h=1]Doctor testifies in trial of South Valley man accused of raping and killing girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter

Dr. Hyden first evaluated three-year-old Sophia Acosta late at night on May 7th, 2011.

Acosta was unresponsive, had bruises, and through radiography, Dr. Hyden found evidence of hemorrhaging.

"But I was concerned that this child had been subjected to forceful vigorous activity that caused bleeding in the head and in the eyes. Even though I only knew about retinal hemorrhaging in the left eye at that time."

Dr. Hyden also observed bleeding in the perineum, or groin area, also indicating blunt force trauma there.

Prosecutors allege that Cheary, the boyfriend of Sophia's mother, caused these injuries when he was home alone with Acosta and her sister, while their mother was buying heroin in Visalia.

Cheary's defense team has said that Acosta had a blood-clotting disorder and that the case is a medical mystery. But according to Dr. Hyden, there were, what he called, a constellation of findings during Acosta's stay at Valley Children's that point towards a traumatic event.

[/h]
http://abc30.com/news/doctor-testif...ing-girlfriends-3-year-old-daughter-/1588467/

 

[Niner]

Since no one has updated this, here's what I found:

http://abc30.com/news/jury-finds-ch...-of-murdering-3-year-old-exeter-girl/1607040/

GUILTY!

And after five-and-a-half hours of deliberations, Cheary was convicted on all counts. It was a long trial that included graphic details and images that often provoked friends and family members to become emotional in the courtroom.
Cheary's sentencing phase begins Wednesday. He does face the death penalty, and that's what prosecutors will argue for but the other option is life without the possibility of parole.

I guess that would be Wednesday, Nov. 16th for sentencing.

 

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Jury finds Christopher Cheary guilty of murdering 3-year-old Exeter girl


Monday, November 14, 2016 06:46PM
FRESNO, County (KFSN) --

A jury found Christopher Cheary guilty Monday of murdering his girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter.

Authorities said Sophia Acosta, 3, was found beaten and unconscious on the floor of her family's Exeter apartment in May of 2011. Sophia was rushed to a hospital in Visalia as well as Valley Children's in Madera County before she died.

Sophia had been in the care of Cheary when she died. During the trial, numerous medical professionals testified Sophia died of severe, non-accidental blunt force trauma.

SNIP


http://abc30.com/news/jury-finds-ch...-of-murdering-3-year-old-exeter-girl/1607040/

 

[byo]

Penalty phase begins in Christopher Cheary murder trial
By Brian Johnson, Wednesday, November 16, 2016 06:29PM

In the final phase of Cheary's murder trial, prosecutors are pushing for the death penalty, after he was found guilty of murdering, raping, and torturing his girlfriend's three-year-old daughter, Sophia Acosta, in May of 2011.

The trial will resume on Monday, and the judge expects the penalty decision to get to jurors by that Wednesday.

Cheary won't be sentenced until after Thanksgiving.

 

[byo]

Father of murdered 3-year-old girl: ‘She was brain dead – there was no way of surviving’
By Lewis Griswold; lgriswold@fresnobee.com; November 21, 2016 2:05 PM

Obie Acosta, Sophia’s father, was among the witnesses called to testify in the penalty phase . . . “I just remember sitting by her side, just holding her hand,” he said. “Later on they called me, said she was brain dead – there was no way of surviving it.”
Her organs were used in transplants.

After the girl’s father testified, defense attorneys called Cheary’s mother, Laura Campanur, to the stand.
. . . .her son was hyperactive as a child . . . took Adderall and Zoloft to calm him down. . . husband used illegal drugs. . . rocky marriage. . . divorce . . . failing grades. . . did not graduate from high school. . . smoking marijuana. . . using heroin. . . .

 

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Father of murdered 3-year-old girl: ‘She was brain dead – there was no way of surviving’
By Lewis Griswold; lgriswold@fresnobee.com; November 21, 2016 2:05 PM

Obie Acosta, Sophia’s father, was among the witnesses called to testify in the penalty phase . . . “I just remember sitting by her side, just holding her hand,” he said. “Later on they called me, said she was brain dead – there was no way of surviving it.”
Her organs were used in transplants.

After the girl’s father testified, defense attorneys called Cheary’s mother, Laura Campanur, to the stand.
. . . .her son was hyperactive as a child . . . took Adderall and Zoloft to calm him down. . . husband used illegal drugs. . . rocky marriage. . . divorce . . . failing grades. . . did not graduate from high school. . . smoking marijuana. . . using heroin. . . .

Bla, bla, bla. Poor thing. NOT. All my sympathy goes out to poor little Sophia, a little angle whose life was stolen from her by an evil murderer, a man who is less than human, a man who should have loved her and pampered her.

 

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Turlock man awaits sentencing for torture, murder of toddler

POSTED November 25, 2016 4:24 p.m

A Turlock man convicted of first-degree murder for the death of a 3-year-old Exeter girl is now waiting to find out if he will spend the rest of his life in prison, or if he will pay for his crimes with his life.

Christopher Cheary, 25, originally from Turlock, was convicted Nov. 14 for the death of Sophia Acosta, 3, of Exeter. A Tulare County jury found Cheary guilty of first-degree murder, with the special circumstances of torture and sexual penetration. The same jury is currently listening to the sentencing phase of the trial and will soon decide whether or not to sentence Cheary to the death penalty.

SNIP.

http://www.turlockjournal.com/section/15/article/33225/

 

[Niner]

Sentencing was supposed to be on Monday, Nov. 28th - any updates on "what" this guy got?

TIA!

 

[0101ABA]

Christopher Cheary, convicted of the murder and torture of 3-year-old Sophia Acosta, should go to death row, a Tulare County jury decided Wednesday.

(...)


Cheary is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 30 by Kalashian, who must approve the death penalty verdict.

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/crime/article117969598.html

 

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Death sentenced handed down to former Turlock resident guilty of toddler’s murder


POSTED December 16, 2016 6:38 p.m.



A former Turlock resident has been sentenced to death for the sexual abuse and murder of his girlfriend’s three-year-old daughter.


A jury had previously convicted Christopher Cheary, 25, of first-degree murder, with the special circumstances of torture and sexual penetration in the death of Sophia Acosta, 3, of Exeter. On Nov. 30 the same Tulare County jury read their verdict to send Cheary to death row for his crimes. A formal sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 30 SNIP

http://www.turlockjournal.com/section/15/article/33356/

 

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I still can't believe how little interest has been shown in the brutal rape and murder of this poor little baby girl.

Looks like both judge and jury got this one right.

 

[0101ABA]

2016’s waning months saw the conclusion to Exeter’s worst crime in history. Now convicted of murdering his live-in girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter, Sophia Acosta, Christopher Cheary awaits official sentencing on Jan. 30, 2017 after the jury has already recommended the death sentence.

There are many accounts of what happened to Acosta on May 7, 2011, but Exeter police officer Brandi Garcia’s may be the most chilling.

http://www.thesungazette.com/articl...y-case-concludes-with-death-sentence-verdict/

 

[Knox]

I have a hard time with the fact there is no accountability for the Mom. We see this time and time again. Who failed to protect Sophia against this drug crazed monster?

Then we have people like the babysitter who fail to report.
http://kmph-kfre.com/archive/little-sophias-babysitter-says-she-witnessed-the-abuse
http://kmph-kfre.com/archive/sophia-acostas-former-babysitter-explains-what-she-saw

All the missed opportunities to save this child's life. I want to vomit!!!

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/crime/article129695414.html

Convicted murderer Christopher Cheary was sentenced to death Monday by a Tulare County judge for the killing of 3-year-old Sophia Acosta, also known as Baby Sophia.

 

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Family of murdered 3-year-old Sophia Acosta speaks out against CA death penalty decision
FRESNO, Calif. -- Emotions are overwhelming on Wednesday for a Valley woman whose 3-year-old great-granddaughter was murdered.

Ruth Williams says Governor Gavin Newsom's executive order to stop death row executions is adding insult to injury to her family - in the worst way.

"That one issue is the one I take issue with the most. The fact that the voters said, 'Yes, keep it', and the governor says not while I'm here. It's different from what the voters' will is. He's supposed to represent us and that is my biggest issue with it," Rooker says.

The policy will serve as an instant reprieve for the 737 people on death row - including 39 from the Valley.

In January 2017, Exeter resident Christopher Cheary was sentenced to death for the murder of 3-year-old Sophia Acosta.

Williams believes Christopher Cheary does not have the right to live after a jury convicted him of murdering, raping and torturing little Sophia in May of 2011.

"That was the closure we had. To see him die was my closure and I would've walked to San Quentin... I don't care - I would've walked there to watch it," she says.

 

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I have a hard time with the fact there is no accountability for the Mom. We see this time and time again. Who failed to protect Sophia against this drug crazed monster?

Then we have people like the babysitter who fail to report.
Little Sophia's Babysitter says she witnessed the Abuse
Sophia Acosta's Former Babysitter Explains What She Saw

All the missed opportunities to save this child's life. I want to vomit!!!

This poor example of a mother belongs in prison for LIFE.

 

[toetag]

I have a hard time with the fact there is no accountability for the Mom. We see this time and time again. Who failed to protect Sophia against this drug crazed monster?

Then we have people like the babysitter who fail to report.
Little Sophia's Babysitter says she witnessed the Abuse
Sophia Acosta's Former Babysitter Explains What She Saw

All the missed opportunities to save this child's life. I want to vomit!!!

This babysitter told the mother, who didn't give a damn. She was too young to understand she could have contacted authorities. Her parents should have helped her report it.
The blame falls on the mother who should have protected her baby but chose to protect her man instead.