A man in North Carolina was convicted on Friday of second-degree murder and severe child abuse in the tragic death of his 12-week-old daughter in 2022. Nicholas Shane Stephenson, 37, was found guilty of subjecting his baby girl, Riley, to torture, abuse, neglect, and starvation to the extent that her skin became loose on her body.
Superior Court Judge George Bell imposed a prison sentence of 200 to 252 months for murder and an additional consecutive term of 125 to 162 months for the child abuse conviction. Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams expressed gratitude to the jury for holding Stephenson accountable for the heartless cruelty inflicted on the innocent child.
Riley’s mother, Diandra Fuhr-Farlow, previously confessed to serious child abuse. Initially facing a first-degree murder charge, she provided evidence against Stephenson during his trial. Stephenson, who was initially charged with first-degree murder, was ultimately found guilty of second-degree murder.
Responding to a distressing 911 call made by Fuhr-Farlow reporting her daughter as unresponsive in their Candler home on June 28, 2022, officers and medical personnel discovered Riley with visible injuries including bruises and burns. Despite being rushed to a hospital, Riley tragically passed away the same day.
Medical examination at Mission Hospital revealed that Riley had suffered a broken collarbone, multiple broken ribs, a broken arm, burn marks on her face, and signs of dehydration. Just a month before, Riley had been declared healthy by a health center.
Fuhr-Farlow initially claimed Riley’s injuries were accidental, but later alleged that Stephenson had deliberately caused harm to their daughter. Stephenson and Fuhr-Farlow faced charges that were later escalated to first-degree murder.
Following the investigation and autopsy findings, the charges against the parents were upgraded. The medical examiner noted Riley was severely underweight, suffering from pneumonia, and lacked medication and nourishment at the time of her death.
