A South Fulton, Georgia man was sentenced to 50 years in prison after he attempted to kill his 18-day-old daughter by putting antifreeze in her bottle, according to local authorities.
The incident occurred in 2020 when Curtis Jack, 45, got his coworker pregnant. Throughout the pregnancy, he pressured her to have an abortion.
She had to stay at the hospital after giving birth, and asked Jack to pick up her breast milk to give to the baby’s grandmother, who was caring for the newborn at the time.
Jack put antifreeze in the bottles, and delivered them to the baby’s grandmother.
Monster Georgia father is sentenced to 50 years in prison for poisoning his 18-day-old daughter's bottle of breastmilk with antifreeze to avoid paying child support https://t.co/v9ev7zpQSn pic.twitter.com/uwkX884STD
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) April 14, 2024
Within a day, the newborn became “critically ill,” and poisoning was suspected. The child suffered “serious injuries” and testing at a local children’s hospital revealed the presence of ethylene glycol – a chemical commonly found in antifreeze.
An investigation identified Jack as the suspect, and warrants were issued for criminal attempt to commit murder and cruelty to children in the first degree.
During questioning by police, Jack admitted to adding antifreeze to the breast milk.
However, as he was indicted and facing charges including attempted murder, he took back his admission, complicating the work of the detectives and the District Attorney.
“It’s beyond getting a confession we still have to prove someone committed the crime. You still have to prove that the person is guilty,” Sergeant Dickerson told WSB-TV.
Jack’s trial included testimonies from “the child’s mother, grandmother, law enforcement officers, and medical experts, including a demonstration of how easy it was to poison the breastmilk,” police reported.
The jury found Jack guilty on all charges, and he received a 50-year prison sentence, with 40 years to be served in custody.
Detectives were confused by Jack’s motivations, as he had a well-paying job.
WSB-TV spoke to the child’s mother on the phone, who said that she is not ready to discuss the incident but that the baby, now three years old, is doing well.
“A special thanks to Madam Fani Willis and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in obtaining justice for the victim and her mother,” wrote South Fulton police in a statement.
