FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 18, 2018
Darian McWoods sentenced to life in prison for murdering his 15 month old daughter
Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill announced Darian McWoods, 25, received a life in prison sentence for murdering his 15 month old daughter.
Under Oregon law, McWoods must serve a minimum of 25 years in custody before being eligible to apply for parole. He will not receive any credit for good time.
The defendant’s daughter, Kamaya Flores, 15 months old, died on December 17, 2013.
“I was there for her birth and saw her as she took her first breath and I held her in my arms. My heart melted with love for this beautiful, little baby girl,” said Patricia Fisher, Kamaya’s maternal great grandmother. “Kamaya was such a sweet, loving child who craved human interaction…She loved to cuddle and be near you…When you took my sweet, great grand baby away from me, you ripped a hole in my heart that can never be filled.”
Kamaya’s maternal grandmother, Raquael Flores-Vuylsteke remembered Kamaya as a child full of life who loved exploring her environment. Flores-Vuylsteke shared memories of her and Kamaya going to the zoo, watching birds, and playing in the sandbox. She cherishes memories of cooking with Kamaya, playing together and sitting around campfires.
“I have no regrets for what I gave her and that was love,” Flores-Vuylsteke said Wednesday during sentencing. “I just loved the smell of her hair and her kisses on my cheek.”
On June 5, 2018, a 12-person jury unanimously found the defendant guilty of two counts of murder by abuse, three counts of manslaughter in the first degree, and one count each of criminally negligent homicide, criminal mistreatment in the first degree and tampering with a witness.
The trial lasted 13 days and was presided over by Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Christopher J. Marshall.
Evidence presented during trial revealed Kamaya was in the care of her father at the time of her death. An autopsy revealed she had broken ribs, petechial hemorrhages and facial bruising. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office concluded the injuries on Kamaya were consistent with compression asphyxia. Blood and urine were collected during the autopsy for testing. It was later determined Kamaya died of methadone toxicity. A trace amount of methamphetamine was also detected in Kamaya’s system.
At sentencing, Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Amity Girt said, “this has been a very long journey for the family involved with Kamaya’s death in 2013.” Girt prosecuted this case along with Deputy District Attorney Amanda Nadell. “It's been a very long and emotional ride for the family and for the people in her life who only wanted answers about Kamaya’s death…I do hope and think that the investigation that was done in this case and the jury's verdict that came last month can be the start of some closure for the family and people in Kamaya’s life."
“We know that Kamaya was up and playful in the hours preceding her death,” said Deputy District Attorney Nadell. “The amount of methadone in Kamaya’s blood was enough to cause her to stop breathing and go unconscious. Kamaya had terrible, inflicted injuries. Everything we’ve learned during this investigation showed Darian McWoods had an abusive parenting style.”
During trial, the jury heard evidence that made it clear McWoods took and had access to pain pills and liked to do ecstasy (also known as “Molly” and MDMA).
“Darian McWoods knew his daughter was in distress on December 17, 2013 and needed medical attention right away but he didn’t do that,” Girt said during closing arguments of the trial in June. “He took every step possible to save himself. He was thinking about himself that day, not his daughter.”
Judge Marshall sentenced McWoods to the mandatory punishment of life in prison for Kamaya’s murder. McWoods will have to serve a minimum of 25 years before he is eligible to apply for parole.
The defendant was also sentenced to 20 months of prison after being convicted of criminal mistreatment in the first degree in connection to the injuries inflicted upon Kamaya. That time will run concurrently to the life in prison sentence.
Finally, Judge Marshall sentenced the defendant to 24 months in prison for McWood’s conviction of tampering with a witness. Judge Marshall chose to order that the 24 month prison sentence run consecutively to the murder charge.
“The reason the Court is imposing that consecutive time is because that is a completely separate crime from the horrific crimes that were committed against Kamaya, and it exhibits an unimaginable course of conduct after the horrific conduct related to the murder,” Judge Marshall said in court.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau’s Homicide Detail and the Multnomah County Child Abuse Team. Detective Michele Michaels and Detective Bryan Steed (retired) were the primary investigators on this case.
Resources:
- Multnomah County District Attorney’s Multi-disciplinary Child Abuse Team
- Portland Police Bureau Child Abuse Team
- DHS Child Abuse
#MCDA#
Contact: Brent Weisberg, Communications Director
Phone: 503.988.6567
Email: Brent.Weisberg@mcda.us