Mother Convicted Of Microwaving Month-Old Daughter To Death

Dayton, Ohio took the spotlight yesterday, with the announcement from John McCain about his choice of a running mate. Something else happened in Dayton that received far less attention. China Arnold, 28, was convicted of microwaving her one-month-old baby

This was Arnold's second trial with the first having been declared a mistrial and after closing arguments on Thursday, the jury deliberated and came back Friday with a guilty verdict for aggravated murder, which potentially holds a punishment of the death sentence.

According to prosecutors, the 28 year-old mother, China Arnold, put her one-month-old baby, Paris Talley, in a microwave, turned it on and burned her baby to death, after having a fight with her boyfriend.

The baby's DNA was found inside the microwave, according to CNN.

The defense had claimed there was someone else there and responsible for murdering the baby. Defense attorney Jon Paul Rion cited testimony from a 8 year-old boy who they allege saw another boy take the baby into the kitchen, claims the child heard the microwave go on, then later saw the baby burned in the microwave.

The 8 year-old boys mother testified on Wednesday that they lived a distance away and that her child was not at Arnold's apartment complex when the baby was murdered.

The original trial was declared a mistrial on February 11, 2008, after Judge John Kessler heard private testimony from the 8 year-old boy.

Other testimony came from Arnold's cell mate who testified that Arnold admitted to putting the baby inside the microwave, saying she was worried her boyfriend would leave her if he found out the infant wasn't his.

Arnold showed no reaction when the jury announced the guilty verdict, reports say she just lowered her head and looked at the table before her while relatives observing in the courtroom cried and covered their faces with their hands.

.