Three people were convicted of torturing and murdering a toddler in 2020.
Bella Seachrist was just three years old and weighed only 20 pounds when her father, stepmother, and step-aunt tortured, starved, and beat her to death inside their Oakmont home.
Her father will spend up to nearly 70 years in prison, and her stepmother will be imprisoned for the rest of her life.
Her step-aunt, Alexis Herrera, was previously found guilty of a general count of homicide. On Monday, an Allegheny County judge heard evidence to determine if she’s guilty of first or third-degree murder, or involuntary manslaughter.
Herrera’s defense team argued that she was not intellectually bright enough to “develop the specific intent to kill someone” because of several mental disorders.
Doctors who evaluated her testified she has PTSD from a troubled childhood, and borderline intellectual functioning — which is when a person struggles cognitively and has a below average IQ.
Prosecutors pushed back — arguing Herrera was more than competent to understand the abuse happening in the home and was capable of murder.
Bella was born after her father had an affair, and he was given custody of the little girl.
Over the last five years, Channel 11 has reported the horrific details of Bella’s abuse. When police found Bella in the family’s bathtub, she was covered in bruises and scabs, and neighbors didn’t know she existed.
The final months of the 3-year-old’s life were filled with mental and physical abuse — but what ultimately killed her was being starved by her family.
Judge Beemer has yet to decide on the degree of guilt.
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