According to the court documents, the 37-year-old father was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the 2019 assault of his 2-month-old daughter. Prosecutors say the defendant beat his infant daughter, leaving her blind, brain damaged and in a medically-induced coma. He admitted to the court that he got angry over his child’s constant crying. That led him to physically beat his daughter. The 37-year-old dad was sentenced on Friday.
The 37-year-old father from Tennessee, Michael D. Fisher, said that he did not ever intend to kill the little girl. But, the jury disagreed and found him guilty of one count of first-degree attempted murder, meaning they believed wanted to kill his daughter and that his actions were premeditated. Fisher also pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated child abuse.
Judge sentenced him to serve one 25-year sentence for each charge. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively and at 100% of the ordered time behind bars.
On Jan. 26, 2019, the 37-year-old father brought his 2-month-old daughter, Addilyn Fisher, to the Southern Tennessee Regional Medical Center with multiple severe injuries. He told the doctors that she had fallen down. Fisher later told the medical staff that he was carrying the child, fell, and landed on top of her.
But, the 2-month-old child was covered in blood and suffering from a head wound, multiple broken bones, internal bleeding, and swelling of the brain. She was also blind in her left eye and had brain damage.
Prosecutors say that doctors were forced to put the child into a medically-induced coma and reportedly did not think she would survive the attack. Authorities investigated the case and arrested Fisher.
The child’s biological mother, Brooklyn Tidwell, was also arrested and charged with aggravated child neglect. She is scheduled to stand trial later this year.
Terra Woodard, Addilyn’s adoptive mother, took the child in after she spent eight months in the hospital. This is a developing story and it will be updated as new information become available.