Mother, Boyfriend Murder Daughter Day Before Emergency Custody Hearing

Go grab your Kleenex, y’all.

I usually save this for the end, but this photo hurts my heart. I want to send my sympathy and condolences first and most importantly to Mr. Garrett, as well as the Garrett family, the Day family, and anyone else who knew and loved this precious little girl.

Mickhal Garrett loved his 4-year-old daughter, Aniya. He filed paperwork seeking custody of Aniya. He repeatedly called the state child abuse hotline, adamant that his ex-girlfriend and Aniya’s mother abused her -as did her new boyfriend, Deonte Lewis. He did not call because he was a scorned ex-lover or wanted to enact revenge on his ex-girlfriend. He called and sought custody of his daughter because he and his mother saw the bruises and marks on Aniya. No child deserves to be abused.

He loved her, he wanted the best for her and would have given her the world. The day before an emergency custody hearing, Anyia's mother and stepfather allegedly killed the beautiful little girl.

“You killed my fucking child! You hurt my baby,” the anguished father tearfully screamed in the courtroom during a 2018 bond hearing. This photo evokes emotion when you see the anguish on this father’s face.

Abuse of Aniya

Rather than accept that parenting was too much for her, she abused Aniya and allowed her boyfriend to abuse her. A phone call to Aniya’s father would put an end to her worries. She knew Mickhal was a good father who wanted to be part of his daughter's life. Sierra was not woman enough to do that, instead choosing to end her daughter’s life.

Aniya suffered a fatal stroke after Sierra and Deonte repeatedly punched her in the head. Sierra called paramedics to their Cultural Garden Apartment in Euclid, OH to report a child with burn marks was unresponsive. Paramedics noticed bruises and burn marks on the child’s body.

Staff at the hospital called police to report the toddler’s death as a homicide. Later, the Medical Examiner determined Aniya died from blunt impact to her head and malnutrition.

Aniya's Health Takes a Turn for the Worse

Sierra and Deonte began dating in 2017. Soon thereafter, Aniya’s health began to decline. She became so weak that she lost motor skills and could not walk.

Rachel Garrett, Aniya’s grandmother, told Cleveland.com that she and other family members noticed the girl with black eyes, rug burns, and bruises on her body. This raised concerns that she was being abused. Mr. Garrett contacted child services. He made three different reports against Sierra.

Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services confirmed they conducted three separate allegations of abuse or neglect in the year prior to her death. They closed all of the cases unsubstantiated, saying they did not find enough evidence of abuse to remove the child from her mother’s home.

Sierra and Mickhal had a meeting with a social worker in a few days. The father had filed a petition for emergency custody, the meeting to discuss custody arrangements.

Police took Sierra and Deonte into custody shortly after Aniya died.

Deonte's Says He "Loved" Aniya

Deonte addressed the courtroom at sentencing, saying, “I love Aniya.” He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 20 years. Authorities say Deonte sat back and watched as Sierra abused and starved the little girl until she was “skin and bones.”

The Supreme Court refused to hear Lewis’s appeal case, saying it would be an injustice to the little girl who suffered at his hands.

Sierra was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Mickhael also said in his victim impact statement:

““Sierra Day, Aniya’s birth mother, how could you torture and murder your own flesh and blood. Your daughter, my beautiful princess, my angel, my perfect Aniya,”

Resources & More Information:

https://www.cleveland19.com/2019/03/19/sierra-day-deonte-lewis-will-be-sentenced-wednesday-murder-year-old-aniya-day-garrett/

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2022/02/ohio-supreme-court-declines-to-hear-the-case-of-boyfriend-convicted-in-death-of-aniya-day-garrett.html