29 year old Lavelle Scott has been found guilty on all four counts in the death of his 31 day old daughter, Sophia Flora Fields.
The jury of 11 women and 1 man returned its verdict at around 5:05 Wednesday afternoon, less than five hours after deliberations began.
Scott has been sentenced to life in prison for first degree murder in perpetration of child abuse and first degree murder in perpetration of child neglect.
Life in Tennessee means 60 years with a 85% release eligibility. Based on time served already and his behavior behind bars moving forward, he would not be eligible for parole until around age 75.
His attorney T. Hunter Shelton will file a motion for a new trial. That hearing will be September 5th.
A sentencing hearing on convictions for aggravated child neglect and aggravated child abuse will be July 30th.
UPDATES PRIOR TO THE CONVICTION – WEDNESDAY – MAY 7
UPDATE – WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 4:45 PM
The jury has another question related to “paperwork for fines” and the court has responded
UPDATE – WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 4:20 PM
The jury has finished rewatching the video and has returned to the jury room to continue deliberations.
UPDATE – WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 3:10 PM
The jury has requested to see the videos of the interviews of Lavelle Scott by TBI Special Agent Darby Wood
UPDATE – WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 2:20 PM
The jury has sent questions back to the court, two dealing with the defendants medical records as they pertain to his mental diagnosis and can the jury take into consideration his mental health. The other is a time question, which has been a major topic between the state and the prosecution as it pertains to when exactly certain things were said to have occurred. Another question somewhat related dealt with whether the Facebook live videos were live or recorded. The judge voiced opinion that the jurors for the most part were asking about investigative matters and reminded jurors that the only thing there were able to consider was items discussed and/or presented during testimony.
UPDATE – WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 12:20 PM
The charge by the Judge has ended and the Jury following lunch is to begin deliberations.
UPDATE – WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 10:30 AM
Closing arguments for both sides ended about an hour and a half after they began this morning. Following a break at 10:30, presiding Judge John Dugger, Jr. was to begin reading a 163 page charge of the jury. The jury will then begin deliberations early this afternoon.
UPDATE – WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 9:00 AM
The defense rested its case without calling any additional witnesses, with T. Hunter Shelton saying the State had not presented its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Ritchie Collins is now presenting closing arguments.
UPDATE – WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 4:00 AM
The state has rested its case in the first degree murder trial of Lavelle Scott. The defense for the 29 year old Greeneville man charged with the death of his 31 day old daughter will present its case beginning today.
After the state rested around 5:40 Tuesday afternoon, Defense attorney T. Hunter Shelton made a motion for acquittal on all counts which was denied by Judge John Dugger, Jr. Although he had said Monday Lavelle Scott would not testify in his own defense, Shelton confirmed that again in open court with his client before court recessed for the day.
TUESDAY AFTERNOON
MEDICAL EXAMINER TESTIFIES TO CAUSE OF DEATH
Medical Examiner Dr. Matrina Schmidt testified late Tuesday afternoon that infant Sophia Flora Fields “died by homicide as a result of multiple blunt force injuries”. Her description of the internal and external injuries included graphic autopsy photos of the infant. One of the two women who have been sitting in court with the girls mother throughout the week left in tears as the first photo was shown. The mother, Brandi Fields and another person along side her , cried as the photos were shown to the jury of eleven women and one man. It’s a jury that has appeared, at least to this reporter, very engaged and stoic as they have listened to the testimony this week. However, as might be expected, several jurors were seen wiping tears during and soon after the pictures were shown on the big screen next to them.
LAVELLE SCOTT RECANTS EARLIER STATEMENTS IN INTERVIEW WITH TBI SPECIAL AGENT
The interview by TBI Special agent Darby Wood began with Scott initially saying, as he had in earlier interviews, that after his daughter fell from his bed, he tripped coming through the hall of his residence and dropped the girl causing her to strike her head. Scott showed remorse that he believed that could have led to her death.
The video with Wood and Scott over a two day period including her updating him on autopsy results. It was an autopsy that showed 32 fractures to her ribs (later confirmed as 36 by the Medical Examiner). Wood explained to Scott those injuries could not have been caused by her falling from his bed, only something more intentional.
Wood continued to press on the matter as an emotional Scott then began to recant earlier comments. Joined by Detective Sgt. Hobbs and TBI Special Agent Brian Fraley, Scott would later sign a new statement admitting to hitting and punching the girl, even putting a pillow over her in an effort to stop her crying.
Testifying later in the day, Fraley testified the infant died in the hands of her father. Fraley by the way was also involved in the Megan Boswell prosecution.
DEFENSE ATTORNEY QUESTIONS LAW ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES WITH OTHER SUSPECTS
Defense attorney T. Hunter Shelton spent a lot of his cross examination Tuesday questioning why his client seemed to be the only suspect investigators turned their attention to. That included Diana Scott, the mother of Lavelle, who is documented to have a history of neglect and other such charges. Chris Franklin with DCS would later tell the state there were 17 different cases attached to Diana Scott. Only two of those he said were substantiated. Diana Scott, currently incarcerated, was brought into the courtroom around 5:15. Video of an interview by Police with Diana Scott after the girls death was played to the jurors as evidence. Scott, five years removed from that interview where she was very coherent and engaged with investigators , entered court Tuesday with a jailer, walking almost as if to catch every step, with either nods or short answers to questions from council. Her longest answer was in response to attorney Shelton’s question if she knew the man seated at the defense table as her son when she responded she didn’t even know him since it had been so long since she had seen him.
