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A North Carolina mother has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of killing her two-year-old daughter, who prosecutors said suffered at least 40 separate blows before her death.
Jeanie Kassandra Ditty was found guilty of first-degree murder and felony child abuse in connection with the death of her daughter, Macy Grace Ditty.
The case dates back to December 2015, when two-year-old Macy was taken to Cape Fear Valley Regional Medical Center, covered in bruises.
Prosecutors said medical staff determined that the toddler had “suffered at least 40 separate physical blows” during a 24-hour period.
Macy, from Fayetteville, died two days later.
Ditty, who is now 33, was arrested in 2016 and initially charged with first-degree murder and negligent child abuse causing serious bodily injury.
Her live-in boyfriend at the time, Zachary Keefer, was also arrested and charged in connection with the case. However, those charges were eventually dismissed after investigators concluded he was not present when the abuse occurred.
One of the most disturbing details to emerge from the investigation involved what Ditty allegedly did after her daughter's death.
On January 4, 2016, around a month after Macy died, Ditty contacted photographer Sunny Jo and asked whether he could create photographs featuring her and her deceased daughter.
Jo offered a service called “One More Time”, which involved digitally incorporating a deceased loved one into photographs to create the appearance that they were still present, almost like an angel.
Some of the proposed images showed Macy appearing alongside her mother in a cemetery.
He had reportedly heard about the toddler's death and offered the service to Ditty free of charge.
But when she contacted him, she allegedly gave him a bizarre explanation for what had happened to Macy.
“She told me her daughter had passed away by choking on a banana, and that choking gave her seizures which made her lose oxygen to the brain and then she passed away,” Jo told WRAL.
He subsequently passed the information he had received to the police.
Ditty eventually turned herself in on March 24, 2016.
The case has taken more than a decade to reach its conclusion.
Ditty's first trial took place in 2020 but ended with a hung jury after jurors reportedly voted 10-2 in favor of finding her guilty.
A retrial began this month, with 16 witnesses taking the stand, including medical professionals who had treated Macy.
Some witnesses also described seeing Ditty behaving aggressively toward the little girl and said they had attempted to intervene.
After less than three hours of deliberations, jurors returned a guilty verdict.
Ditty was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the first-degree murder conviction. She was also handed an additional sentence of between 157 and 201 months for felony child abuse causing serious bodily injury.
The courtroom reportedly descended into chaos following the verdict.
According to prosecutors, Ditty “created a severe disturbance in the courtroom, cursing and shouting at individuals present” as jurors left.
Several officers were required to intervene and restrain her, after which she was placed in handcuffs and leg irons before being sentenced.
During the sentencing hearing, Macy's paternal grandmother and maternal great-aunt delivered emotional victim impact statements.
Special Prosecutor Lisa Coltrain said Macy had been deeply loved by her family, who had spent years seeking justice for her.
“Macy was a precious toddler who was loved by so many people,” Coltrain said.
“They carried the grief of losing Macy while always continuing to fight for her story to be told and justice to be served, and though it was a long road, it finally reached a conclusion.”
She also praised the jurors, saying the case had been difficult to hear but that they had shown “deepest respect and appreciation” while working to establish the truth.
Kimberly Spahos, director of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, said the verdict represented years of work by investigators and prosecutors.
“This verdict reflects years of extraordinary perseverance by a team that never lost sight of who this case was about: Macy,” she claimed.
“Their work ensured that Macy’s story was told, that her voice was heard, and that the evidence was presented with the care, skill, and determination this case demanded.”
Spahos added: “Justice was a long time coming for Macy, but I am grateful it was finally realized.”
