Former Nanny Receives 102 Months In Prison For Murdering 9-Month-Old In Her Care

            ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Amy Hunter, age 27, of Longview, Washington, was sentenced today  to 102 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the murder of a nine-month-old baby that was in her care.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Michael T. Monroe, Special Agent In Charge Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.

            Hunter previously pleaded guilty on January 16, 2013.

            According to court documents, the defendant admitted that on April 26, 2011, in her home on the Quantico United States Marine Corps Base, she murdered C.P., a child of nine- months-of-age.  The defendant had been providing daily care for C.P. and the defendant’s own daughter in her home on Quantico Marine Base which she shared with her husband, an active-duty Marine.

            The court documents further state that at approximately 9:23 a.m., Hunter placed a 911 call reporting that C.P. had hit her head and lost consciousness. C.P. was airlifted to Inova Fairfax Hospital where she was placed on life support.  C.P. had severe traumatic brain injuries, including cerebral edema, subdural hemorrhages, numerous occipital fractures, and significant, diffuse retinal hemorrhages. The hospital also identified a healing rib fracture that they believed was more than three weeks old. 

            C.P. never regained consciousness and was removed from life support on the morning of April 28, 2011.  The lead physician determined that, in his opinion, C.P.’s death was due to the results of a combination of blunt force trauma, due to an impact to the back of the head, and violent rotational head trauma, such as from shaking.  An autopsy conducted by  an Assistant Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia found the cause of C.P.’s death was craniocerebral and spinal cord injuries and the manner of death a homicide. 

            In an interview, the defendant admitted that she repeatedly shook C.P., and caused C.P.’s head to strike the wall because C.P. was screaming.  The defendant also admitted she shook C.P. on a separate occasion approximately three weeks earlier.

            This case was investigated by NCIS.  Assistant United States Attorney Patricia Haynes and Special Assistant United States Attorney Stacey Luck are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.