Iran Terrell, 25,
pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and felony child abuse. Judge Paul Jones sentenced him to
20 years on the first charge — Terrell will be eligible for parole in 2028 — and 73 to 97 months on the second charge. The sentences are to run concurrently.
During the sentencing, Jones questioned the morality of anyone who could subject a child to the abuse that Jailyn McKoy endured.
“Pure evil was inflicted upon this child,” Jones said
. “Whoever did this, it’s a shame. There is a special place in hell for someone who would do this to a child.”
Jailyn’s mother, 25-year-old Ashley Stallings Terrell, remains behind bars awaiting trial for involvement in the toddler’s Nov. 5, 2008, death.
Noticeably thinner than his 2008 mug shot, Iran Terrell entered the courtroom to find his mother and family members in the gallery. On the opposite side was the family of Jailyn’s father — some of whom said they never got the chance to meet the child.
As Jones read the charges and made sure Terrell understood his rights, the former Marine lance corporal nodded and responded with “Yes, sir” and “No, sir” — his only comments during the proceeding.
He had been discharged from the Marine Corps as a result of the charges.
Assistant District Attorney Imelda Pate recounted the details of several interviews with Terrell, the child’s autopsy report and evidence found at the couple’s British Road home during a consensual search.
She surmised that after the 2-year-old urinated on himself,
Terrell hit him with a “white belt” six to 12 times, including one blow that caused Jailyn, who was “moving to avoid the strikes,” to hit his head on a bed post.
Pate noted the autopsy and a medical checkup in September 2008 suggest
Jailyn had been abused for about a month before his death.
“(The autopsy doctor’s) conclusion, after her examination of both the exterior and interior of the body … revealed
evidence of repeated beating,” Pate stated during the proceeding. “The head injury occurred as a result of striking the child, or throwing him such as he impacted his head against a hard surface.”
The autopsy doctor also reported
Jailyn’s height and weight were “markedly abnormal” for his age.
While disputing Terrell’s involvement with the Nov. 5, 2008, incident, defense attorney Scott Jack contended “any type of systematic child abuse rests with” Jailyn’s mother, whom he described as an “evil, wicked, vicious woman.”
“This is a mellow, quiet young man who actually took care of children,” Scott said. “Obviously, my client is absolutely sorry for his misconduct and has pled guilty; but I will say this: The second biggest mistake of his life was marrying Ashley Stallings and that is clear by all the evidence.”
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