A California couple has been sentenced to prison after being convicted in the heartbreaking starvation death of their three-month-old daughter, a tragedy that prosecutors said “unfolded in plain sight” as the infant slowly wasted away under their care.
Brandon Copeland and Elizabeth Ucman were each sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after separate juries found them guilty of second-degree murder in the death of their infant daughter, Delilah. The sentencing marked the end of a years-long legal battle and delivered a measure of justice for a child whose short life ended in unimaginable suffering.
A Healthy Baby at Birth
According to prosecutors, baby Delilah entered the world as a healthy newborn. There were no significant medical conditions or underlying illnesses that would have prevented her from growing and developing normally. Family members and medical experts later testified that the infant had every opportunity to thrive.
Instead, investigators discovered that Delilah’s health steadily deteriorated during the brief three months she spent with her parents…