BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A Lake Isabella couple convicted in the death of their 1-year-old daughter were sentenced to prison Wednesday.
Jeffrey Sullins, found guilty last month of murder and assault of a child, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison while Ashley Saffell, convicted of involuntary manslaughter and child cruelty, received a six-year prison term, according to court records.
On the morning of Jan. 29, 2022, deputies were called to Bernie Drive, west of Lake Isabella Boulevard and north of Chain Avenue, to a report of a child not breathing. The girl was declared dead at the scene.
At trial, prosecutor Nick Lackie said Sullins, 31, beat his daughter to death. The child had injuries in various stages of healing, he said, some inflicted weeks earlier.
Saffell, 29, knew about the ongoing abuse but didn’t get help, Lackie said. She had a duty as the girl’s mother to protect her, he said, and she failed.
