MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Matthew Brown-Edwards was sentenced Wednesday to 35 years in prison for causing the death of a 2-month-old girl in 2018, after continuing to deny responsibility for the death.
A jury previously convicted Brown-Edwards, 28, of first-degree reckless homicide and other counts. He was also placed on extended supervision for 15 years by Judge Jerilyn Dietz.
The case against Brown-Edwards saw multiple trial postponements for several reasons, including changes of his attorney, the COVID-19 pandemic and a mistrial during jury selection.
Those delays compounded the pain of losing her daughter, Alice, Alexis Dixon said.
“These past few years have been torture. Every time I thought we were close to the end, another delay would happen. It’s like fighting for air while being completely defenseless. Because of this, I ask the judge to run the sentences consecutively, in honor of my daughter, Alice, who never had any chance,” Dixon said.
Before the sentence was issued, Brown-Edwards talked for more than hour. He discussed the challenges he faced growing up, but denied responsibility for Alice’s death. Brown-Edwards said he told police what he did to protect and help Dixon, but he didn’t expect to be convicted.
“Those confessions were coerced, were pressured. My life was stolen from me,” Brown-Edwards said.
Despite that claim, Judge Dietz said a jury found him guilty, and the seriousness of the offense required a near-maximum sentence.
Paramedics were called to a Two Rivers home in 2018 for an injured child. The baby was eventually taken to a suburban Milwaukee hospital, where the child died four days later of blunt trauma to the head. Brown-Edwards told police several versions of what happened but eventually said he shook her forcefully.
After her death, some of Alice’s organs were donated, her grandmother said in court.
