PITTSBURGH,None — An Allegheny County jury has found a Braddock man guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his 23-month-old daughter, who he left outside to freeze to death.
The same Allegheny County jury that convicted William Page, 26, on Monday will begin hearing evidence Tuesday to determine whether he deserves the death penalty or life imprisonment.
Nyia Page's body was found February 2007 in a wooded area about four blocks from the family's home.
On Monday, William Page was found guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, sexual assault and falsifying a police report.
After the verdict was read, Nyia's mother collapsed in her courtroom chair, sobbing. She is expected to take the stand during the sentencing phase of the trial and speak about what toll the murder has taken on her family.
Channel 11 News spoke to Deputy District Attorney Mark Tranquilli after the verdict, who helped explain a little bit about how jurors came back with a hung jury verdict in the case of assault against William Page on Nyia's brother.
"I think the conviction on first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated and indecent assault of a child and false reports speaks for itself," said Tranquilli. "As to the hung jury, in many of the cases of child abuse, there's no scientific evidence. Unless it's a really heinous attack, you don't have DNA. All you have is the unsubstantiated word of a child witness. I think it's perfectly understandable and not altogether unforeseen that the jury was unable to come to a verdict on the charges related to the testimony of the 9-year-old boy."
William Page - nyia page dad William Page William Page
During the trial, Tranquilli called the toddler's death "a cold-blooded killing," telling jurors that Page molested Nyia and initially was going to put her in a sewer.
Instead, Page left her in a foot of snow in 12-degree weather, Tranquilli said.
However, Page's attorney, Chris Patarini, said there was no evidence of Page's DNA making contact with Nyia or her diaper.
During the trial, prosecutors played Page's recorded confession for the jury. In it, Page told police he kicked the girl because she kept removing her diaper, and that he left her outside in the snow.
Page denied he sexually assaulted Nyia. He also testified that he fabricated his confession to police three years ago.
Page said he made up his confession because police "said, ‘If you don't tell us what happened, you'll never see your daughter again.' So I told police I back-handed her, but it was a lie."
When prosecutors asked Page how he knew so many details about what happened to Nyia, Page replied, "I heard some of it on the news."
But Page testified that he confessed only after police grilled him over several days and that she somehow wandered outside.
Previous Stories: March 18, 2010: Braddock Man Continues Testimony In Daughter's Death March 16, 2010: Witness: Braddock Toddler Found Dead In Snow Sexually Assaulted March 12, 2010: Photos Of Dead Toddler's Tiny Footprints Bring Jurors To Tears March 10, 2010: Jurors Hear Mother's Frantic 911 Call In Braddock Toddler Death Trial February 12, 2010: Judge Ruling On Death Penalty In Death Of Braddock Girl May 5, 2008: Trial Delayed For Dad Accused In 2-Year-Old's Death February 9, 2007: Family, Friends Gather To Remember Braddock Toddler February 8, 2007: Father Charged With Braddock Toddler's Death February 6, 2007: Braddock Girl's Death Ruled Homicide February 4, 2007: Missing Braddock Toddler's Body Found
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