Woman sentenced to 20-50 years in prison in 5-year-old’s death

A 26-year-old woman was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison on Thursday for her part in the 2019 killing of a 5-year-old girl.

In July, a jury convicted Shevhuan Miller of murder and child abuse charges for the death of her boyfriend’s daughter, Janiyah Russell. Miller and her boyfriend, 27-year-old Richard Davis, were arrested after police said their story on what happened to Janiyah kept changing, according to their arrest report.

The Clark County coroner’s office determined Janiyah died of blunt force injuries. During Miller’s sentencing hearing on Thursday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Michelle Jobe said Janiyah was injured “literally from head to the top of her knees, inside and out.”

District Judge Tierra Jones sentenced Miller to between 20 and 50 years in prison for first-degree murder and child abuse, neglect or endangerment resulting in substantial bodily harm.

Davis, who faces charges of murder and six counts of child abuse, neglect or endangerment resulting in substantial bodily harm, is scheduled to go to trial in February, court records show.

The couple had called police Sept. 11, 2019, to report that Janiyah was cold and unresponsive, according to their police report.

Davis said he wasn’t home when Miller put Janiyah in the bathtub about three hours earlier that morning and went outside to smoke a cigarette. After Miller walked back inside, the child was “stomach down” in the bathtub, according to the police report.

Miller told police she dressed Janiyah, laid her on the couch and went back to bed for two hours after blowing in the child’s mouth “because she looked like she needed some air” and later turning up the heat because the child looked cold.

Davis later told police he had spanked Janiyah with a belt about 20 times a few days before her death, the report said.

Miller declined to give a statement to the judge during the hearing.

Miller’s defense attorney, Conor Slife, argued that Davis was more culpable for the girl’s death.

“I still think he’s the real monster in this case, not Ms. Miller,” Slife said.

Jobe argued on Thursday that Miller should face 31 years to life in prison for not seeking help for Janiyah before her death.

“Frankly, she has shown no remorse, she has shown no care for this child, she’s shown no care for what happened to this child,” Jobe said.

After the hearing, Janiyah’s maternal grandmother, Tirzah Russell, said that she was angry at the sentence.

“They should have gave her life — she took a life,” Russell said. “And not only did she take a life, but she took a child’s life.”

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.