A Phoenix father, Dontae Johnson, has been sentenced to 37 years in prison for the severe physical abuse of his three children that ultimately led to the death of one child.
Earlier this year, Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of Child Abuse, a Class Two Felony and Dangerous Crimes Against Children; and two counts of Attempted Child Abuse, a Class Three Felony and Dangerous Crime Against Children. In addition to the 37-year sentence, Johnson also received lifetime supervised probation.
Johnson will serve every day of his sentence without the possibility of release in that time frame.
According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, on February 7, 2020, the Phoenix Police Department responded to a report of child abuse from staff at a local hospital. Doctors noted the twin girls each had fractured ribs, bleeding in the brain, liver lacerations, and were severely dehydrated and malnourished. The third child was also evaluated and found to have five rib fractures and a broken finger.
Johnson admitted to forcefully shaking the twins on multiple occasions when they wouldn’t stop crying, and to repeatedly hitting and inflicting physical harm to the third child. After undergoing numerous surgeries, the first twin succumbed to her injuries and died. The second twin now suffers from cerebral palsy, along with significant developmental and cognitive delays.
“By his own admission, this defendant beat and shook his three children. One child tragically, after heroic measures by medical professionals, did not survive,” shared County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “The abhorrent facts of this case show this defendant has no place in our community because if he can hurt his own children this way, he can hurt anyone else.”
“The prosecutors in our Family Violence Bureau combed through thousands of pages of medical records that outlined the complex injuries in this case,” shared County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “Due to their dedication, this defendant has been removed from society.”