LeRoy Metoyer III from Detroit has been sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison for the second-degree murder and 15 to 30 years for first-degree child abuse of 1-year-old Justice Starks, with the sentences to run concurrently. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office confirmed the sentencing, which follows Metoyer's guilty plea during a jury trial that began in July and ended abruptly after seven days.
Justice Starks died from multiple blunt force trauma to the head on Dec. 1, 2022, as determined by the Wayne County Medical Examiner. Metoyer, who was babysitting Starks, assaulted the toddler at a home on the 19200 block of Lancashire Street in Detroit, The Detroit News Tamika Smith, Justice's great-aunt, expressed her anguish, saying, "Every part of her body, from the top of her head to the soles of her feet, there were bruises everywhere," during the sentencing.
The family shared their grief and emphasized the magnitude of the loss in victim impact statements. Justice’s mother, Erica Edmond's words were relayed through the Assistant Prosecutor, "This was not just the loss of a child, this was the loss of a future," noted The Detroit News. The tragedy has left the family grappling with the void of Justice's absence in future milestones and family celebrations.
During the trial, Metoyer remained silent, and even as the sentencing was passed, he declined to speak, only showing emotion as he cried when the family's statements were read. Smith, who spoke in court, expressed a hope that Metoyer would be haunted by the harm he inflicted on Justice as much as he has caused the family to suffer. "He wasted our family's time and the Starks' family's time. He put our family at us in every possible way," Smith remarked in an angered tone, according to FOX 2 Detroit.
Judge Wanda Evans has credited Metoyer with 899 days already served. The case has been a prolonged ordeal for the family, with the guilty plea coming nearly three years after the crime was committed. Metoyer was arraigned on March 4, 2023, and was in custody until the recent end of the trial that included his guilty plea. Metoyer will serve the dual sentences concurrently for the irrevocable loss of Justice, a vibrant child whose life was tragically cut short.
