MANCHESTER, NH – A Hillsborough County Superior Court North jury on Friday deliberated for less than three hours before convicting a Weare father of negligent homicide in the death of his 18-month-old daughter.
Christian Cummings, 23, of 364 Colby Road was accused of neglect in the death of Kamryn Cummings, 1½, who was infested with lice when she was found dead in the home on Valentine’s Day 2019. An autopsy determined the toddler died from an untreated urinary tract infection.
He also was found guilty of reckless conduct and endangering the welfare of a child.
The child’s mother, Mikayla Cochran, 23, of 62 High Rock Road, Weare, is charged with the same offenses.
Cummings was accused of neglecting Kamryn’s care resulting in her death from urosepsis, dehydration and/or an electrolyte imbalance. The toddler was covered in lice which, an autopsy determined, was a contributory cause of the child’s death.
The toddler died on Valentine’s Day in 2017. According to Weare police, the child was lifeless on the living room floor when they arrived early that morning at the Colby Road address.
Her parents told police she had been vomiting for about two days but had stopped a day earlier. They were going to take her to the hospital but didn’t when she stopped throwing up because they believed she had a 24-hour bug.
“We’re disappointed in the verdict but we accept the jury’s verdict and we will appeal,” defense attorney Ted Lothstein said.
Cummings facing a sentence of from 10 to 30 years on the negligent homicide offense.