A Marion County judge on Wednesday sentenced 31-year-old Damian Milton to 35 years in prison following his conviction for aggravated battery in the death of his 1-year-old daughter, Amaya. Court records show the case traces back to late July 2023, when the toddler was hospitalized and died days later.
According to WTHR, Milton was found guilty in January on the aggravated battery charge and received the 35-year term at a sentencing hearing in Indianapolis. Prosecutors argued that medical findings and court filings showed Amaya’s injuries did not match an accidental fall and instead reflected inflicted trauma.
How investigators say it happened
Investigative documents state the Indiana Department of Child Services contacted Indianapolis police about a near-fatality on the morning of July 31, 2023, after Amaya was rushed to Riley Children’s Hospital in critical condition. The 1-year-old died six days later, on Aug. 6, 2023, as reported by WRTV.
Court filings describe catastrophic head and neck trauma, including two bilateral subdural hemorrhages and other injuries consistent with non-accidental harm. The records say Milton first told investigators the child was having trouble breathing and might have fallen, then later acknowledged “aggressive behavior,” including “yanking” Amaya by the arm and using a tight bear hug that pressed her face into his chest. That description appears in the court record and earlier reporting by Law&Crime.
Sentence and next steps
The 35-year prison sentence effectively closes the criminal phase of the case that followed months of medical review and police investigation. WTHR reports that Milton will serve the term in state custody; his attorneys have not publicly said whether they plan to appeal.
Aggravated battery that results in death carries steep penalties in Indiana, and this case highlights how hospital child-protection teams, DCS and IMPD work together on suspected abuse. Prosecutors, relying heavily on court documents and medical evidence, told the court they believed the record fully supported Milton’s conviction and the sentence imposed.
