Caliyah was only 15 days old when her father, Christopher McNabb, took

her life in a brutal actContent Warning: This article discusses child abuse

and may be distressing for some readers.

In a tragic and deeply unsettling case, a judge allowed a man who took the

life of his baby daughter to, in a way, determine his own punishment.

Baby Caliyah was only 15 days old when her father, Christopher McNabb, ended her

life in a brutal assault.McNabb was sentenced in 2019 after he initially claimed

that his daughter had been kidnapped.

Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, he continued to assert his innocence,

even after being found guilty.

But as the sentencing unfolded, the judge presented McNabb with a unique opportunity to

influence his own fate.The body of baby Caliyah was found stuffed inside

a Nike backpack in October 2017.

At the time of this horrific incident, McNabb and his partner, Courtney Marie Bell,

were reportedly under the influence of crystal meth. They claimed that their

baby had been taken while they slept.

The couple was living in a trailer park in Covington, Georgia,

about 40 miles from Atlanta, when this tragic event unfolded.

During the trial, jurors learned about the appalling conditions of

the family’s home, where drug use and violent altercations between

McNabb and Bell were common occurrences.McNabb faced multiple charges, including malice murder,

felony murder, second-degree murder, aggravated battery, and both first- and second-degree cruelty to children. He was also convicted of concealing a death.

Bell was convicted of second-degree murder, child cruelty, and contributing to the dependency of a minor.

She received a 30-year sentence, with 15 years to be served in confinement.

In court, McNabb maintained his innocence, declaring, “I would never do this. I’m innocent.”

The judge then asked him, “You claim you’re innocent, so you tell me what sentence the man or woman that you claimed did this should receive.”

McNabb responded, “If you ever find out who did this, they deserve to be under the jail,” and the judge followed up with, “So they should get the maximum sentence?”When McNabb confirmed his stance, the judge delivered the final ruling: “On the crime of malice murder, I sentence you to life in confinement without parole.”

During the proceedings, the prosecutor made it clear that there was no room for doubts about the couple’s guilt.

District Attorney Layla Zon asserted, “That child didn’t do anything but need love, and her daddy killed her.”

“All this fake crying and fake tears he did during the interviews about how much he loved his children and that he did in the courtroom are a joke.”

“She was a gift to Cortney Bell and Christopher McNabb.”

“That child was doomed the moment they left that hospital. They took pure innocence and brought that child into a life of hell.”

If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone about child welfare, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD or 1-800-422-4453) is available 24/7 and takes calls from the United States, Canada, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico.