A United States citizen, Daniel Schwarz, has been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment for contributing to the death of his 8-year-old daughter, Jaylin, in Odessa, Texas.
Schwarz learnt his fate after he and his wife ordered their daughter to jump on the trampoline in scorching heat without food or water, eventually leading to her tragic death.
His sentencing came two years after Jaylin’s mother was found guilty of capital murder and given three sentences for the brutal killing on May 1, 2023.
The Ector County District Attorney’s Office announced the sentencing on Wednesday and congratulated the Odessa Police Department for successfully seeking justice in the little girl’s senseless death.
Schwarz’s journey to jail began five years ago, on August 29, 2020, when police responded to a medical call at the child’s home.
According to the Odessa police officers, they arrived at a gruesome discovery and found Jaylin dead at the scene on her trampoline.
“An investigation into the horrific events revealed that Daniel and Ashley didn’t allow Jaylin to eat breakfast and forced her to jump on the trampoline as a cruel form of punishment,” officials said.
The investigation also revealed that the trampoline was at a scorching temperature of 110 degrees, and the ground was approximately 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Her adoptive parents made her jump on the trampoline without stopping for an extended period. When she stopped jumping, Jaylin was refused water. Around two months later, Jaylin’s autopsy revealed that she died of dehydration, and her death was ruled a homicide,” officials added.
Jaylin’s siblings testified during Ashley’s trial that their parents frequently punished them by forcing them to jump on the trampoline for hours.
During his trial, Jaylin’s family claimed Schwarz didn’t show any emotion during his daughter’s funeral or his wife’s criminal trial.
After reviewing the evidence brought before the court by the prosecution, the judge sentenced Schwarz to 18 years in prison.
