Candelario pleaded guilty last month to aggravated murder and child endangerment charges for abandoning her 18 month old daughter, Jailyn, to die alone of starvation and dehydration. At her sentencing on Monday, forensic pathologist Elizabeth Mooney described the “excruciating” pain andsuffering Jailyn likely endured over days of neglect before her death. Fighting back tears, Dr. Mooney explained how the severe separation anxiety toddlers feel would have compounded Jailyn’s physical suffering from lack of food and water. The judge sentenced Candelario to life in prison for the horrific crime that investigators said was among the worst cases of child abuse they had ever seen. Law enforcement officials became emotional recounting the emaciated and dehydrated condition in which Jailyn was found. Candelario had dressed Jailyn in clean clothes before calling 911 when she returned from vacation, attempting to conceal the egregious neglect. Prosecutors presented evidence that Candelario left Jailyn alone and suffering for days before leaving on vacation and again for two days after returning before finally calling 911. Candelario’s parents pleaded for leniency, citing her mental health struggles, but the judge sternly admonished Candelario for betraying the sacred bond between mother and child.
Candelario’s parents pleaded with the judge to show mercy and leniency in sentencing their daughter. In a prepared statement, her mother Ketty Torres said Candelario had long struggled with health issues, including mental illness and fainting spells, which worsened when she stopped taking prescribed medication. This exacerbated her depression and anxiety and impaired her judgment, Torres explained. She added that the family had been unaware of Candelario’s actions. Candelario herself told the court she prays daily for forgiveness, believing God and her daughter Jailyn have forgiven her, though she said this didn’t justify her behavior and that nobody knew the extent of her suffering at the time. As Judge Brendan Sheehan handed down the sentence, he sternly admonished Candelario, saying she had left her child “trapped in a tiny prison” for days while indulging herself.
