A Louisiana man was sentenced to 50 years in prison after a baby left in his care inside a Mississippi hotel room died.
Christian Angel Cookmeyer, of Belle Chasse, La., pled guilty on Dec. 18 to one count of second-degree murder, one count of felony child endangerment, and one count of possession of a controlled substance.
The case began on Dec. 10, 2022, when the Biloxi Police Department responded to the Star Inn off Beach Boulevard in reference to an unresponsive, 4-month-old child. The child’s mother, Cookmeyer’s girlfriend at the time, had left her daughter in his care while she went to work. When the mother returned, she discovered her daughter was limp and breathing irregularly and called 911.
At the scene, officers spoke with Cookmeyer and the child’s mother and learned that Cookmeyer’s 4-year-old daughter was also staying in the hotel room. Upon the execution of a search warrant, officers discovered marijuana, THC edibles, and THC syrup inside the room.
“The 4-month-old was transported to Merit Health in Biloxi, where she was diagnosed with multiple skull fractures and brain bleeds,” Assistant District Attorney Mara Joffe explained. “The ER doctor at Merit Health noted that the child’s injuries were ‘highly suspicious for non-accidental trauma’ and indicated child abuse. The child was later transported to Children’s Hospital New Orleans, where she passed away on December 14, 2022.”
When interviewed by police, Cookmeyer attempted to shift the blame to his 4-year-old daughter, saying she must have dropped the younger child while he was in the bathroom. However, eyewitness and medical experts said differently, leading investigators to find that the child’s injuries would not be explained by being dropped.
Cookmeyer was sentenced to 30 years for the murder charge and 10 years apiece for the felony child endangerment and possession of a controlled substance charges. He will serve the 50 years total in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.