Dec. 22, 2014

Father Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing Daughter

 Newark – Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that Travis Hartsfield, Jr., 28, of Newark was sentenced to life in prison for the March 2011 murder of his 20-month-old daughter, Asiyah Hartsfield.

The Honorable Michael L. Ravin, Judge of the Superior Court, imposed sentence. In October of this year a jury convicted Hartsfield of murder and endangering the welfare of a child. Today, Judge Ravin sentenced Hartsfield to life which is 75 years under New Jersey law. Under the No Early Release Act, he must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Hartsfield, who was unemployed, was supposed to be taking care of the baby while the mother went to one of her two jobs. Angry that the child would not eat, the state maintained he punched in her in chest, causing the internal bleeding that killed the baby.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Michele Miller, who tried the case, asked the judge to impose a life sentence.

“He killed his own daughter, his own flesh and blood. This was murder. When he became a father, he had one job in life that he had to succeed at and he failed miserably,’’ said Assistant Prosecutor Miller. “The last image Asiyah had was an image of her father, a person she looked at with loving eyes and a person she thought loved her, violently attacking her. He punched her because she refused to eat her macaroni and cheese and then he turned his back on her and went back to his video games. He smoked a cigarette while she was bleeding to death less than two feet away.’’

On the morning of March 14, 2011, the baby’s mother left the child with Hartsfield so she could go to work. Around 12:30 am he called the baby’s mother saying the baby was not breathing and was ice cold to the touch. She told him to call 911 and then took a taxicab to his house. By the time she arrived at the house, the baby had been taken to the hospital by emergency medical personnel, where she was pronounced dead.

Hartsfield gave a statement to authorities admitting he punched the baby after she refused to eat. The child, who weighed just 22 pounds, had a history of eating problems and was diagnosed with a heart murmur.

At trial, Miller said the physical evidence contradicted Hartsfield’s version of events. She said the child had bruising on her face, head, arms and mouth. She said those injuries were inconsistent with someone making a split decision or his defense that CPR caused the majority of her injuries.

Oct. 29, 2014

Father Convicted of Murder for Killing His 20-month-old Daughter

 Newark —Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that an Essex County jury convicted Travis Hartsfield, Jr.,  28, of Newark of murdering his 20-month-old daughter following a 5-week trial before the Honorable Michael L. Ravin, Judge of the Superior Court.

Hartsfield, who was unemployed, was caring for the toddler while the mother worked two jobs. The mother left the little girl, Asiyah Hartsfield, with the father on March 14, 2011 and in the early morning hours of March 15, 2011, Hartsfield called the mother to tell her the baby was not breathing and felt ice cold, according to testimony at the trial.

She told him to call 911. Medical personnel responded to the scene and rushed the baby to University Hospital where she was pronounced dead around 2 a.m. Hartsfield later admitted to police that he punched his daughter multiple times in the chest when he could not get her to eat. He said that after he punched her she cried and vomited and he told her to go lay down because he was still mad. The little girl had a history of eating problems. She also could not walk or talk and as an infant had been diagnosed with a heart murmur.

On Oct. 28, an Essex County jury convicted Hartsfield of first degree murder and second degree endangering the welfare of a trial.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 22. He faces 30 years to life in New Jersey State Prison.

Assistant Prosecutor Michele Miller, who tried the case, said, “We are extremely grateful to the jury for seeing this case for what it was – this was an intentional, purposeful, deliberate act of an adult male upon a small child. He punched her with such force that he split her liver and she bled to death. And while she lay dying on the bed behind him, he sat less than three feet away from her playing video games. Once he discovered her not breathing, he waited at least 40 minutes before he called 911. When confronted by law enforcement after the autopsy revealed Asiyah died of blunt force trauma, the defendant admitted that he delivered the fatal blows to her chest that killed her. That’s murder.’’

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that Travis Hartsfield, Jr., 25, of Newark has been indicted for the murder of his 20-month old daughter, Asiyah Hartsfield.

It is alleged that on March 15, 2011, while caring for his daughter, the father repeatedly punched the child in the head and the torso, causing her death. The official cause of death was blunt force trauma. The father is also charged with one count of endangering the welfare of the child.

The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges in the indictment on Nov. 15 before the Honorable Peter J. Vazquez, J.S.C. Hartsfield remains incarcerated. Bail is set at $750,000.

These are accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they either plead guilty or are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today the arrest of Travis Hartsfield, 24, of Newark for the murder of his 20-month-old daughter, Asiyah Hartsfield.

The defendant has been charged with one count of murder and is being held in the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark. Bail was set at $750,000 by the Honorable Carolyn Wright, Judge of the Superior Court.

The toddler was in the care of her father at home in Newark when a 911 call came in at approximately 12:43 a.m. yesterday seeking medical attention. The little girl was rushed to University Hospital where she was pronounced dead yesterday at 2:00 a.m.

Following an autopsy, it was determined the toddler died from blunt force trauma. At that point the investigation was turned over to the Newark Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Squad.

Late yesterday, Hartsfield was charged with murder. A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was taken into custody late last night.

The investigation is active and ongoing. No other details are available at this time.

These are mere accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.