According to the report in the Indianapolis Star, Tayuan Chism was sentenced after pleading guilty to the murder of 15-month-old Lilliana Goodmann, the daughter of his girlfriend, Rachel Goodmann. In March of 2009, Tayuan spent over an hour beating the child with a belt because she "disrespected him" by not eating her food.
During the beating of 15-month-old Lilliana, her mother Rachel did nothing to interfere. Rachel has pled guilty to felony neglect, and will be sentenced on Feb. 26.
The newspaper's account of the incident states: "Her mother stood by, but two other people who were in another room eventually grabbed the girl and took her to a hospital. Lilliana, who had internal bleeding and a skull fracture, died two days later."
As incomprehensible as it sounds, the fact is that a little girl -- a toddler in diapers -- was beaten to death by one drug-crazed adult, while her mother, and two other adults, stood by and did nothing.
They were all in the apartment at the time of the murder. For over an hour, they listened to little Lilliana cry and scream as Tayuan raged against her with his belt.
They listened, for over an hour, to the "smack" of the belt as it landed across her back, her legs, her arms, her face.
Did little Lilliana try to run away? Was she knocked to the floor after the first couple of blows, laying there helplessly, crying in pain? Did she scream after every lash of the belt against her tender young skin? Did one of the blows to her skull eventually knock her out, thus sparing the adults in the apartment the unpleasant sound of her weeping?
Were the other adults in the apartment afraid of Tayuan? Were they afraid he might hit them with the belt if they dared to interfere with his beating of 15-month-old Lilliana? Even if they were such craven cowards that they would allow a toddler to be beaten in their presence, couldn't one of them have mustered up enough human decency to sneak off and call 911?
No other mention is made in the article about the other two adult witnesses, who stood by and did nothing, except that they finally took little Lilliana to the hospital after she was already beaten senseless. Was there no crime to charge these people with?
Four adults are responsible for the death of a defenseless toddler. Tayaun has received his sentence of 55 years. Rachel will be sentenced soon, and could receive up to 30 years.
There are two other adults who should be sentenced, for the rest of their lives, to sleepless nights of guilt and shame. They should hear the pitiful screams of little Lilliana in every nightmare they have. How can such heinous actions ever be atoned for? In my mind, allowing the brutal murder of a child is beyond the pale.
These people have only one hope for redemption. There is only one thing that can rescue them from the misery that they deserve. Only Jesus can turn their despicable lives around, and free them from the crushing weight of such unbearable guilt.
It is this same salvation that God offers to each one of us, to cleanse us from the countless sins we have all committed in the course of our lives.
"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:22-24 (NIV)
