Bartee
WHITE PLAINS – A Mount Vernon woman could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted of murder in the death of her 14–month-old daughter.
Deasia Bartee, 26, was also charged with three counts of manslaughter and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Police were called to Bartee’s residence at 210 Washington Street in Mount Vernon for a report of an unresponsive child in her sleep.
Samia Yusuf was found on her back in a playpen with her arms rigid pointing toward the ceiling. Her left eye appeared to be swollen shut; she had no pulse and was lifeless and was extremely cold to the touch. She was pronounced dead at Mount Vernon Hospital.
An emergency room doctor who examined her told police the child was unusually cold and that it was his belief the victim had been dead for some time and may have been refrigerated as she was in an advanced state of decomposition.
An autopsy ruled the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the body with a fracture dislocation of the lumbar spine and internal bleeding. She was also significantly underweight and malnourished.
Bartee remains in the Westchester County Jail without bail.
