ROCK ISLAND, Ill. -- Beverly J. James pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 24 months of conditional discharge in circuit court Thursday for her role in the death of her four-month-old grandson in March of 2015.
James, 79, had faced a felony child endangerment charge after an investigation into the death of Darien Watkins at her in-home daycare in Moline.
Watkins was unresponsive when emergency workers answered a 911 call to his grandmother’s home on North Shore Drive, in Moline, March 2, 2015. Darien reportedly had a fractured skull, broken ribs, and bit marks consistent with a child’s mouth. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital and airlifted to Peoria that same day, and he died.
Other children were in James' home when Darien was found unresponsive there, according to Rock Island County Sheriff Gerry Bustos said. The investigation revealed that another child - under the age of 5 - inflicted the injuries that ultimately killed Darien. Bustos confirmed the bite marks found on the baby, and he added a chrome bar with the other child's fingerprints on it was believed to be involved in the incident. The bar was part of a disassembled baby swing. The other child was believed to be the only other person in the room when Darien was injured.
The plea agreement lowered the charge from a felony to a Class A misdemeanor and allowed James to avoid prison time. The felony charge was punishable by up to five years in prison.