Community Corner

Towamencin Man Who Admitted Killing Infant Son Wants Lesser Sentence

Jameel Earthy East, 24, formerly of Lantern Lane, has asked the state Superior Court to lessen his 15- to 30-year prison term. East pleaded guilty in January 2013 to third-degree murder of his 3-month-old son.

A Towamencin man who murdered his 3-month-old son by bashing his head against a sink and throwing him against a wall can't handle his 15- to 30-year prison sentence and his public defender has asked the Pennsylvania Superior Court for a reduced sentence, per The Intelligencer.
Jameel Earthy East, 24, formerly of the 400 block of Lantern Lane, said Montgomery County President Judge William Furber didn't take into account East's age, his clean record, his alleged mental impairments and his job history when sentencing East for the homicide, per the report.
East pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and lying to police in January 2013. East killed his son Enzo in June 2011 because he vomited on him.
Furber wrote to the Superior Court and asked to uphold the sentencing.
East had asked Furber in August to give him a reduced sentence, but Furber said no.
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Enzo was admitted to Lansdale Hospital with severe head truma. The infant was later airlifted to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. An autopsy revealed that Enzo had died from multiple skull fractures and blunt force trauma to the head.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, police initially interviewed East about his son's death June 25, 2011. At that time, East stated that Enzo had been "fussy" throughout the day, vomiting multiple times. 
After speaking to their family doctor, East then called a friend to transport the infant to the hospital. During the ride, East stated that Enzo stopped breathing, and his body went limp, according to court documents.
Detectives met with East a second time June 25, citing inconsistencies in the statement that he had previously given. During the second interview, court documents state that East changed his story, and that the infant had vomited onto his shorts, at which point he carried his son into a bathroom to bathe him.
East said he was "overwhelmed" as he entered the bathroom, and struck the infant's skull against the counter surface located between to the two sinks, which created a "loud bang," according to the affidavit.


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