A former soldier has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter. Jeanie Kassandra Ditty, 33, was convicted by a jury in Fayetteville, North Carolina, for the murder of Macy Grace, who died in December 2015, just days before her third birthday.
Prosecutors stated that Macy was brought to a hospital with extensive bruising and trauma, indicative of severe physical abuse. A CT scan revealed non-survivable brain injuries sustained within the 8 to 24 hours prior to her death, a period during which her mother was her sole caregiver. Medical evidence indicated the child suffered at least 40 separate physical blows.
Following her daughter's death, Ditty commissioned a photographer for a series of "afterlife" photos. The photographer, Sunny Jo, had offered condolences and was unaware of the circumstances surrounding Macy's death. Ditty had told Jo that her daughter died from choking on a banana, which led to seizures and brain damage. Jo provided Ditty with his "One More Time" package, which superimposes a translucent image of a deceased loved one onto a photograph, waiving the usual fee as a gift to a grieving mother.
These memorial photos depicted Ditty in a graveyard with an outlined image of her daughter, reading to her on a picnic blanket, and standing at a makeshift memorial with her daughter's translucent hand on her shoulder. Ditty's father reportedly took the photos and sent them to Jo, who then digitally created the superimposed images over two to three weeks. Jo later described working with Ditty as a significant regret but felt he had given the slain child a voice.
Ditty's first trial in 2020 resulted in a hung jury, with deliberations ending in a 10-2 vote in favor of guilt. Jury selection for the second trial began earlier this month, and a multi-week process included testimony from 16 witnesses. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before returning a guilty verdict. In addition to the life sentence for first-degree murder, Ditty received a sentence of 157 to 201 months for child abuse.