A Baltimore City man has been convicted for a third time in the death of his girlfriend?s daughter.
Late Thursday, a jury convicted Erik Stoddard, 27, of child abuse resulting in death and involuntary manslaughter in the beating death of his girlfriend?s 3-year-old daughter, Calen Dirubbo. The jury, however, acquitted Stoddard of a charge of second-degree murder.
“I have mixed feelings,” said Baltimore City Assistant State?s Attorney Julie Drake, adding that she believed jurors misunderstood the definition of second-degree depraved heart murder, which does not require a specific intent to kill. “At no point did jurors have any doubt that he committed this act and inflicted these injuries on Calen.”
Stoddard was twice convicted of second-degree murder. But after each conviction, judges have intervened, agreeing with Stoddard?s attorney?s arguments that technical violations during the trials voided his convictions.
Drake called Stoddard one of the “most sociopathic human beings” she has ever encountered.
“I?ve prosecuted a lot of child murderers and typically you find people are a combination of good and bad,” she said. “I haven?t met anybody who enjoyed inflicting pain on helpless people as much as he did.”
On June 15, 2002, Calen Dirubbo was pronounced dead at her home in Northeast Baltimore, prosecutors said. Calen died as a result of multiple beatings and the fatal blow severed her bowel, according to prosecutors, who said they proved Stoddard, who lived with Calen and her mother, was the only adult with Calen when the fatal blow occurred.
Drake said Calen?s mother, who was never charged, did nothing to stop the abuse.
But Stoddard?s attorney, Gregory Fisher, declared his client innocent ? saying Calen?s stepfather was probably to blame. “Mr. Stoddard is nothing more than a scapegoat,” Fisher said.
Stoddard faces up to 40 years in prison; sentencing is scheduled for June 16.
