Detroit man takes guilty plea in fatal abuse of baby; sentenced to 25-50 years

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A man who pleaded guilty to the fatal assault of a one-year-old girl that he was babysitting will spend the next 25 years in prison as part of his deal with the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

LeRoy Metoyer III was sentenced to 25-50 years in prison for second degree murder, plus 15-30 years for child abuse in the death of Justice Starks. The sentences will run concurrently.

Metoyer had been on trial last month but it ended abruptly when he pleaded guilty on July 24th.

On Monday, the prosecutor's office read two statements from the family, asking the judge to sentence him to the highest possible time in prison.

The first statement, from Jusice's grandmother Lakita Redmond, mourned the loss of major life milestones.

"My life and my family life now live with the emptiness and the what ifs. We will never experience the first day of school, school picture day, Justice riding the magical school bus, first daddy and daughter dance, going on school field trips, sweet 16, high school graduation, prom, and no more family holidays, gatherings or milestones. Just memories, pictures and videos of a one-year-old beautiful little girl who is now resting peacefully in the arms of Jesus," the statement read.

The second statement was from Justice's mom, Erica Edmond, who is now clutching to the memories of the time she had with her daughter.

"Justice was my beautiful baby girl. My life, my joy, and my reason for everything I did. She was just shy of her second birthday when her life was taken from her in a way that no parent should ever have to experience. Justice was full of life. She loved dancing to music, going on walks and watching her favorite show, Cocomelon. She had a smile that could change the entire mood of a room, and a laugh that I could still hear in my mind. She was trusting, pure and innocent," she wrote.

Metoyer, who did not speak during his sentencing, cried in the courtroom as statements were read.

Tamika Smith, Justice's aunt, spoke openly in court. She read a statement from her phone before Metoyer was sentenced and said "day has finally come" for Metoyer's sentencing.

"She delighted us all with love and with affection," Smith said. "Justice, also known as Juju, did not deserve to die by the hands of a man who took her life with no regard for whatever horrific reason that he or Metoyer took justice away from our family."

Smith asked the judge for the maximum time possible and told Metoyer that he extended the family's pain and divided them as he denied for years that he had anything to do with Justice's death.

"What's also disgusting, (was) that he waited almost three years to give us this closure that we so desperately need," she said. "He wasted our family's time and the Starks' family's time. He put our family at us in every possible way. What he did was selfish yet calculated. He knew what he would set out to do, and I hope one day that he would just admit that."

Smith detailed the abuse that killed the young baby just before her second birthday.

"I hope that LeRoy Metoyer reaps what he sowed for the egregious and selfish act that he showed. The significance of the bruises and extreme harm he unleashed on my baby niece, Justice, will never be forgotten. He left no skin on her body, untouched by his hands – of his abuse. No skin, judge, every part of her body from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. There were bruises everywhere. You put those bruises there, Leroy," she said. "You wanted her dead. And you committed this crime with such force to ensure that would happened. She did not deserve that."

After the family's statements, Metoyer was given a chance to speak but offered no statements. 

Judge Wanda Evans then sentenced him to 25-50 years on murder charges, 15-30 on child abuse charges, and credit for 899 days already served. 

Justice died on December 1, 2022, two days after police were called to the home on Detroit's west side near Grand River and Southfield.

Prosecutors say LeRoy was babysitting Starks when she was hurt. EMS was called to the scene and transported the baby to the hospital but she died several days later.

The Wayne County Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma to the head.

At the time of Justice's death, her father said the girl had fallen down steps and hit her head.

Metoyer was not immediately arrested or charged with her death. He was ultimately taken into custody in March 2023. 

Court proceedings over the past few years led to the start of a jury trial on July 21. Three days later, he pleaded guilty.

Metoyer will be sentenced at 9 a.m. on Monday. You can stream it in the YouTube Player below.