Man entrusted to care for 15-month-old girl his wife was babysitting shook the toddler just because she cried loud and then repeatedly slammed the girl to the floor, killing her; sentenced
Ohio – In a horrific case that left residents in Ohio shocked, a 34-year-old man, identified as M. Mayor, who was trusted to care for a 15-month-old girl, has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for killing her in a violent outburst. The sentence was handed down to Mayor on Tuesday, just over a month after he pleaded guilty to one count of murder in the death of the 15-month-old girl. Mayor had initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but changed his plea at the end of June. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dismissed additional murder counts and other charges.
The events unfolded on December 5, 2024, when Mayor’s wife, a professional babysitter, left him in charge of the toddler while she took other children to school. What should have been a routine morning of childcare instead became a scene of deadly violence. According to court records and police statements, Mayor told investigators that “he ‘shook’ her, and when she cried louder, he began to ‘slam’ her on the floor of the bedroom. He stated this was not done on the blankets, and he did this several times until she stopped crying.”
When his wife returned, Mayor told her that the 15-month-old was “taking a nap” on the bedroom floor. She reportedly checked on the child multiple times throughout the day. By 3:00 p.m., the toddler was still unresponsive, and Mayor’s wife called 911. First responders arrived and rushed the girl to the hospital, where doctors found devastating injuries: a fractured skull, a subdural hematoma, and other “complex” head injuries caused by what medical staff described as a “massive impact.” Despite extensive treatment, the girl never regained consciousness. The young girl succumbed to her injuries on December 19, nearly two weeks after the attack.
Mayor was arrested on December 11, 2024, and initially charged with felonious assault and three counts of endangering children. After the girl’s death, prosecutors upgraded the charges to three counts of murder. In June 2025, Mayor entered a guilty plea to a single count of murder, resulting in the dismissal of the remaining charges. This week, Judge J. Pratt imposed the mandatory sentence for murder in Ohio: 15 years to life in prison. According to reports, the judge threatened Mayor that if it was up to her, he would be getting a harsher sentence.
During the proceedings, Mayor’s defense attorney said his client had written a letter apologizing to the victim’s family. The judge, however, noted that he did not appear genuinely remorseful. A spokesperson for victim’s family delivered a powerful statement in court, saying they were not satisfied with the sentence, especially since it means Mayor could one day be eligible for parole. They expressed outrage that he “may be free to rejoin society, to be around children once more.”
The family also vowed to push for reforms to sentencing laws in Ohio—“that will ensure that the punishments for violent crimes are commensurate with the impact they have on victims, their families and our communities.” For now, Mayor begins serving his prison term, while the 15-month-old girl’s loved ones face a lifetime of grief for a little girl whose life ended before it had truly begun.
