Tifton man sentenced to life in prison for murder of child

Published 11:36 am Wednesday, December 7, 2005

angie.thompson@gaflnews.com



TIFTON — A 24-year-old Tifton man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after he pleaded guilty to felony murder of a three-year-old child last June.

Torrell Dennis, 24, 518 Alder St., was arrested June 3 after Tift County Emergency Medical paramedics arrived at Old Omega Road Apartments’ #25. They had been summoned to assist a child who was unresponsive and found Trey’veon M. Clark dead in a bathtub.

Tift Chief Superior Court Judge Gary C. McCorvey accepted the plea from Dennis, who was allowed to sit down because he was faint.

“This is the only sentence possible,” said McCorvey. “May God have mercy on your soul.”

Clark lived at the residence with his mother but was alone with Dennis for a period of time the day he died. He died of blunt force trauma to the abdomen. Clark’s mother was not in the courtroom Thursday.

District Attorney Paul Bowden said that had there been a jury trial in the case, evidence presented would show the trauma was produced by “one or two” blows to the child’s abdomen. Those blows, Bowden said, ruptured Clark’s liver and caused internal bleeding that resulted in death.

“He had been dead for a substantially longer length of time than the defendant indicated,” said Bowden. “According to the crime lab autopsy, the blunt force lacerated his liver.”

Bowden said Dennis told a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent after his arrest that the death occurred during his disciplining of the child.

“He was disciplining him for throwing rocks,” said Bowden.

Court appointed defense attorney Patti Veazey argued that Dennis had no intention of killing the child. Bowden indicated that autopsy results showed prior rib injuries that had healed.

Veazey requested an order to obtain records from the Department of Family and Children’ Services for any history of abuse. Veazey also asked that the mother be required to request a release of Clark’s medical history from treating pediatrics. She wanted to see if there was any history of Clark having liver problems.

Bowden said those medical records would not change the facts in the case or otherwise benefit Veazey’s client.

Veazey said she had thoroughly investigated the evidence in the case and discussed options with Dennis.

McCorvey stated that the only option he had on sentencing for felony murder was life in prison.

“I have told him (Dennis) I would take it to trial and fight as hard as I could for him, but this is what he wants to do,” said Veazey.

Indicted charges of murder and two counts of cruelty to a child were not prosecuted in the case.



To contact reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321, ext. 208.