June 5, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Youth Services detectives this afternoon arrested Dwaniko Sudberry for the murder of his 10-month-old daughter.
Sudberry, 23, of 614 Ashmont Court, was taken into custody without incident on an arrest warrant issued this morning charging criminal homicide in relation to the fatal abuse inflicted upon Shiloh Sneed.
Shiloh’s mother, Vanessa Sneed, telephoned 911 at 12:03 p.m. Tuesday to report that her daughter wasn’t breathing. Officers quickly responded and began CPR. Paramedics arrived, continued CPR, and rushed Shiloh to Southern Hills Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
Vanessa Sneed told detectives that she left Shiloh alone with Sudberry Tuesday morning. She said the infant was happy and appeared fine. Vanessa Sneed said shortly after she returned home at noon, Sudberry yelled for help, prompting her to call 911 after seeing that the child was in distress.
Detectives on the scene Tuesday believed it possible that Shiloh suffocated on the bedding. However, a subsequent autopsy revealed multiple internal injuries consistent with severe abuse. The injuries included several broken ribs, a spleen laceration, retinal hemorrhaging, and internal bleeding near her brain. The injuries are believed to have occurred Tuesday while Vanessa Sneed was away from the home.
This is not the first time Sudberry has been charged with abusing a child. He pleaded guilty in Criminal Court last August to a charge of child abuse for striking his then girlfriend’s three-year-old daughter with a shoe and leaving marks and bruises. Sudberry received a three-year probated sentence.
Last July, Sudberry was charged with statutory rape for having sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl, who became pregnant. He pleaded guilty in General Sessions Court to attempted statutory rape on July 24th. He received a sentence of 11 months, 29 days. All but 60 days of that sentence was suspended and he was directed to remain on supervised probation for the remainder.
On March 8th of this year, Sudberry was arrested on charges of driving on a suspended license and evading arrest. He was convicted of both charges on May 9th. He was sentenced to two hours on the driver license charge and 90 days on the evading arrest charge. The 90-day sentence was not put into effect so long as Sudberry did not reoffend during the three-month period.
“As the police department has been saying for many years, recidivism drives much of the crime in Nashville,” Chief Ronal Serpas said. “This case is so sad and heartbreaking because it involves a man with multiple convictions who is now charged with this week’s murder of a baby girl.”
Sudberry is now being held without bond in the Metro Jail on the criminal homicide charge.
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