Coroner unable to determine cause of death for abused 2-year-old
The parents of Julianna Curtis have been convicted of abusing their 2-year-old daughter, who died in November, but the Clark County coroner’s office said this week it doesn’t know how the girl died.
The child’s cause and manner of death were both ruled “undetermined,” the coroner’s office said Wednesday. Las Vegas police suspect the girl, who died Nov. 9 after she was taken to the hospital two days before, was the victim of “repeated violent abuse.”
Further information regarding why the coroner ruled Julianna’s cause and manner of death “undetermined” was not available Thursday.
Her mother, Ebony McBride, 27, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges of child abuse and was sentenced in March to 10 months for each count, to be served back-to-back, with credit for 136 days served, District Court records show.
Her father, Worthy Lee Curtis, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse, neglect or endangerment and was sentenced in February to a minimum of two years and four months, with a maximum of three years. He received credit for 105 days served in custody.
On Nov. 7, after a 911 call requesting medical help for a child in “physical distress” at an east Las Vegas apartment, Julianna arrived at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center with injuries consistent with abuse, including retinal hemorrhages, progressive brain swelling, bruises and lacerations. She had bruises all over her body and marks “consistent with an injury caused by being whipped with an object,” according to identical arrest reports for the parents.
That same month, Las Vegas police spokeswoman Laura Meltzer said murder charges against the parents would be considered after the coroner’s office ruled on Julianna’s cause and manner of death. The Metropolitan Police Department did not respond on Friday to questions regarding the status of the investigation into Julianna’s death.
Curtis’ guilty plea came with the stipulation that it did not include charges that could arise from “any ongoing investigation,” court documents show.
McBride’s plea stated it did not cover charges that could come from an ongoing investigation “into the death of (Julianna),” but that the plea could not be “used against” McBride in proceedings that could arise from “the ongoing investigation” into her daughter’s death.
Before Julianna was taken to the hospital, a 911 call came in requesting medical help for a child in “physical distress” in an east valley apartment complex, the Metropolitan Police Department has said.
Curtis and McBride fled the scene before police arrived, but McBride was found that day, claiming she was trying to find a ride to the hospital “for her baby,” the reports said. Curtis was arrested Nov. 10, according to jail records.
McBride told detectives Julianna’s father had been shaking the child to try and wake her up after she “had a seizure,” the reports said. McBride also said she saw Curtis “whoop” Julianna with shoes and cellphone charger cords, and that he may have “whooped” her the day she was hospitalized “because she urinated on herself.”
Detectives concluded their reports by writing, “During the investigation, it was discovered that Worthy Lee Curtis willfully caused (Julianna) to suffer unjustifiable physical pain and mental suffering as a result of repeated violent abuse and neglect.”
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.