A West Oak Lane woman was sentenced to at least 23 years in state prison for killing a little boy after beating him, feeding him antifreeze and then leaving his body inside her apartment in 2017.
Jedayah Nesmith, 27, who lived in the 7100 block of North 15th Street, tried to pay her ex-boyfriend $1,000 to dispose of the two-year-old victim. But he refused and eventually helped police discover what happened.
Nesmith was the girlfriend of the victim's mother at the time of the killing. The boy's mother had asked Nesmith to house the boy while the mother worked. Nesmith claimed on numerous occasions that the victim was staying with Nesmith's mother in the Poconos.
On March 22, 2017, police found the baby's remains in Nesmith's apartment.
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The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office found numerous physical injuries to the head and body, as well as signs of starvation and dehydration.
"The criminal justice system can never bring back this beautiful two-year-old boy's life," District Attorney Larry Krasner said Monday. "But I'm grateful to ADA Nora Nienhagan Greenberg for helping to hold this defendant accountable. I also cannot stress enough the important role that the public has in notifying social services and law enforcement if you believe a child's life is in danger. By working together, we can protect the lives of our most precious residents and avoid terrible, heartbreaking tragedies like this."
Krasner pleaded with the public to reach out anytime -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week -- to the city's Department of Human Services child abuse hotline if there is a suspicion of abuse: (215)683-6100.
