WOODLAND — Darnell Dorsey was sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison on Tuesday for fatally beating his girlfriend’s toddler son, Cameron Morrison, three years ago.
Dorsey’s attorney had urged Judge Paul Richardson to disregard Dorsey’s one prior strike — a 2009 conviction for robbery committed when Dorsey was 17 years old — which would have reduced the sentence to 25 years to life. But Richardson declined to do so, citing a pattern of criminal behavior that began in 2007 and continued up until Cameron’s death in January 2014.
That behavior included burglaries, assaults, domestic violence and more, according to Richardson, who described it as “a consistent pattern of criminal activity (and) indifference to the needs or interests of others.”
“The court believes that the defendant is the type of person that the three-strikes law was created to address,” the judge said.
“Cameron Morrison will never have the opportunity for the joys and sorrows, the adventures of life, and (he) died at the age of 19 months at the hands of the defendant.”
Cameron Morrison was just 19 months old when he died in January 2014. Courtesy photo
Dorsey, 24, was convicted of causing Cameron’s death following a six-week trial in the fall.
He had been living with the toddler as well as Cameron’s mother, Veronica Rix, and Dorsey’s biological son with Rix on Olive Drive in Davis since 2013.
The young boys had been in Dorsey’s care before Cameron was rushed to Sutter Davis Hospital on Jan. 22, 2014, with traumatic injuries including brain swelling and bleeding, multiple rib fractures and other internal injuries. He died three days later after being declared brain-dead.
During the trial, prosecutor Michelle Serafin argued that Dorsey had fatally assaulted Cameron in a fit of rage, while Dorsey’s attorney, Joseph Gocke, argued that Cameron’s death was the result of pneumonia — an argument jurors later said they did not believe.
Jurors also heard testimony during the trial indicating that Cameron may have been abused over time.
Medical experts testified that Cameron had multiple rib injuries, some new at the time of his death but others in various stages of healing. The toddler’s step-grandmother, Ellen Contini, also testified that Cameron appeared to have a black eye two weeks prior to his death.
In statements to the court prior to sentencing on Tuesday, family members cited that history.
“I want to emphasize that this wasn’t a one-time thing,” Contini told the court. “And it wasn’t just Cameron. His brother … had a black eye at the time of this incident. It wasn’t a one-time thing, it wasn’t a one-child thing. It was a violent, destructive thing and it has had deep impact on our entire family for years and it will continue to have a deep impact on us for years to come.”
Cameron’s aunt, Janay Eustace, a child protective services social worker in Sacramento County, echoed Contini’s comments.
“All the little things that were happening, the cuts and bruises here, the black eyes there, those were all signs,” Eustace said. “Cameron’s body had been telling a story that abuse was happening. It should have been picked up. It should have been prevented.
“He died. He’s dead. He’s not able to tell his story. The only way we were able to put together the story of what happened to him is from his injuries,” said Eustace, who also added that “Cameron did not die in vain.”
“Education will come from this. No more children’s lives need to be taken (as a result) of neglect and failure to protect. As parents, we have to look out for these things. We have to look out for people like Darnell, who are not bonded to your child, who do not care about your child the way that you do.
“You have to make it your business. This has to stop,” Eustace said. “I just ask that today people really think about this: It’s preventable. This is child abuse at its worst. And everyone involved knew something had to be going on.”
Cameron’s father, Julian Morrison, also spoke to the court Tuesday, saying, “I’ve been frozen for three years, that’s how I feel. I love my son. … Justice has finally served itself.”
Dorsey himself showed little emotion during victim impact statements, whispering with his attorney throughout most of them.
— Reach Anne Ternus-Bellamy at aternus@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8051. Follow her on Twitter at @ATernusBellamy
