Mother Sentenced to Prison, Then Likely Hell, For Role in Death of Her 1-yr-old Son, Fatally Beaten By Bum BF in 2019

[TheChronicle] –On September 6, 2019, emergency services were called to a gas station to assist an unresponsive toddler. First responders found the 1-year-old boy limp and blue, indicating severe distress. The toddler was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support, but was declared brain-dead three days later due to injuries from blunt force trauma to the head and violent shaking, as well as a fractured skull, consistent with prolonged abuse.

The 30-year-old mother, S. McCormack, was arrested and charged with felony murder in the course of child abuse. Her boyfriend, 32-year-old R. Elmore, was convicted of capital murder for intentionally killing a person less than 14 years of age and aggravated child abuse of a child less than 6 years of age. Elmore, the direct perpetrator of the fatal beating, was sentenced to life without parole.

Investigations revealed McCormack's disturbing decisions, including stopping for gasoline and cigarettes instead of taking her son directly to the hospital. This act contributed to the case against her. During the trial, it was revealed that McCormack had regained custody of her children just a few months prior, after losing them for unspecified reasons in October 2018.

Court proceedings highlighted the violent environment the 1-year-old lived in, marked by regular physical abuse. Testimonies and evidence showed the indifference of McCormack and Elmore towards the child’s suffering. On the evening the boy was fatally injured, Elmore sent McCormack a text indicating the child’s distress. 

Following the violent assault by Elmore, McCormack’s failure to act swiftly and her detour to buy cigarettes delayed crucial medical intervention. She pleaded guilty to felony murder as part of child abuse and was sentenced to 25 years in a state correctional facility. District Attorney P. Casey expressed her disbelief at the abuse inflicted on the child, saying, "I cannot understand how a mother could leave their child in the care of someone the mother knows to have been abusive to the child."