A young father was recently in court 16 months after killing his infant daughter in 2021, and now faces a lengthy prison sentence. Alex Lewis Marsh, 21, of Midland, was married to his then-wife Isabelle, and the pair were raising 6-month-old Scarlett together. Sadly, one evening, while Isabelle was at work, Scarlett died.
Marsh was home with his daughter, alone, the night of her death. Details surrounding the evening's events remain sketchy, but last week, Marsh pleaded no contest to charges related to Scarlett's death and he now awaits his sentencing.
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Marsh had dropped his wife off at work.
The Midland Daily News reported Marsh dropped Isabelle off at work for her 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift on May 17, 2022. At the time, Scarlett was in the car with her parents, and everything seemed normal. But Isabelle told the court that the baby was not with him when her husband returned to pick her up from work the next morning.
While his wife was gone, the baby died.
Marsh was accused of putting a 4-pound weighted blanket on Scarlett at some point during the evening. He allegedly went on to play video games overnight and into the morning before he went to pick Isabelle up from work. The baby died of asphyxiation under the blanket.
When Isabelle got home, she reportedly discovered her baby girl dead.
According to the Midland Daily News, a distraught Isabelle told the court she found her baby's body "lifeless" in her crib. She reportedly dropped to her knees, screaming that her baby looked sick.
Midland County Prosecutor J. Dee Brooks said the court doesn't believe Marsh intentionally killed his daughter, but was just a tragic accident.
Marsh's story consistently changed.
He was arrested on May 20, 2022, after investigators found him to be the prime suspect. The father of one allegedly had many "inconsistencies" in his story about what happened the night of Scarlett's death. At one point, he said that he checked on his child and then admitted he didn't.
"We did feel the defendant lacked the maturity and ability to provide adequate child care," he added.
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The tragedy left Scarlett's family heartbroken.
Her obituary states, "Scarlett had an infectious smile and was a very happy baby. She loved music and dancing. She loved watching the movie Encanto with its bright colors and music. Isabelle has requested, if possible, that people wear bright colors to Scarlett's funeral because her favorite blanket was orange and she loved bright colors."
She was buried in a private ceremony in 2022.
After accepting a plea deal, first-degree murder and child abuse charges were dropped against Marsh. According to the Midland Daily News, his next court appearance is scheduled for November 16. He faces up to 13 years in prison.
