UPDATE: Melissa Alexander Found Guilty Of Child Abuse In The Death Of One Year Old Jocilynn Strickland/sentenced 36 years in prison plus 5 years of mandatory parole.

November 14, 2011



Colorado Springs, Colo. -- 1 year old child abuse victim's father is a soldier and was deployed to Fort Polk, Louisiana last month -- just 3 days after his little girl's first birthday.

The suspect in the felony abuse case is Melissa Alexander, 27. An arrest report states that she's in a relationship with the soldier and was caring for the little girl.

It looks like Alexander told police conflicting stories, but finally admitted she dropped the baby on the floor. She also says she was upset and tired and threw a sippy cup at the baby girl. She told police she threw it almost as hard as she could.

The baby was found unconscious November 9th and was, at last report, in critical condition.

Colorado Springs Police also say the baby has several injuries, which are not consistent with Alexander's story.

No word yet, if the baby's father has been flown back here to be with her.

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Colorado Springs Police are investigating the abuse of a one-year-old girl who is in critical condition.

Officers say that on Wednesday, they were called to the 900 block of Zamora Circle for an incident involving a one-year-old girl who was unconscious and not breathing.

The girl was transported to a local hospital suffering from life-threatening, abusive injuries.

Detectives responded to continue the investigation.

27-year-old Melissa Alexander, who was caring for the toddler, was taken into custody Thursday and booked into the Criminal Justice Center. She is being charged with child abuse.

The girl remains in critical condition in the hospital.

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I would have mentioned the child's name but it is not given in this report.

Do you know personally of this case Nite? Another case of a bio parent who left a child with a gf/bf. Will they ever learn.....

That poor father!! He should have known better than to leave his child w/this idiot - but maybe he had no where else to leave her??? WHERE IS THE BABY'S BIO MOM IN THIS SICK SCENARIO??

I bet they w/allow him to come home. I would probably beat her to a pulp!!

OMG, and throwing a sippy cup at him as hard as she could???? If the baby dies, she is up for Murder 1.

Father Speaks After Toddler Dies From Alleged Abuse
Dec 11, 2011

A toddler who police said was abused by her dad's girlfriend has died after fighting for her life for a month.
Melissa Alexander, 27, is accused of killing the girl and the charges against her have been upgraded to first-degree murder.

The baby's father, Matthew Strickland, said there were no warning signs that Alexander would ever be violent with his one-year-old daughter, Jocilynn.

"There were no signs, no red flags," said Strickland. "Everybody has their little imperfections, but she was a good mom."

Alexander was watching Jocilynn, along with her own son, at Union Heights Apartments while Strickland was in Louisiana for military training at Fort Polk. Police said Alexander called them on November 9th saying Jocilynn had stopped breathing.

Alexander was arrested the next day. Police said she told them conflicting stories, but eventually admitted to dropping the baby twice and throwing a sippy cup at her nearly as hard as she could. Jocilynn died Friday.

"She was a happy baby," said Alexander. "She meant so much to so many people, and now that she's gone, everybody's happiness turned into sorrow."

Neighbors said Alexander had advertised her babysitting services around the complex.

"There was multiple posters all over the place with, 'I watch children,'" said Steven Staton. "There were little tabs so you could pull her number off."

Some had seen her with the children she was watching.

"There was a few of them that looked maybe one or two years old," said Kimberly Masten. "So it might have been that little girl, which is scary."

Alexander's friend told KRDO Newschannel 13 that Alexander had been caring for Jocilynn, her own young son, and a neighbor's child.

"She told me she wanted to get a regular job because being home and taking care of kids wasn't her thing," said the friend, who didn't want to be named.

She said Alexander seemed "frustrated" in the days before Jocilynn got hurt.

Strickland said he's hoping for justice for his daughter. The court hasn't allowed him to talk to Alexander.

"I know she did it, but just to hear it from her instead of everybody else would make it a lot easier on me," he said.

Alexander is being held in the El Paso County Jail without bond.

Jocilynn's death is the record setting 30th homicide for the year in Colorado Springs. The prior record was 28 homicides in 2007 and 1991.
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Jul 23, 2012

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. A woman convicted in the death of a toddler was sentenced Monday to 36 years in prison plus 5 years of mandatory parole.

Melissa Jean Alexander pleaded guilty to child abuse that knowingly/recklessly caused the death of a one-year-old girl.

The toddler was unconscious and not breathing when rescuers were called to her home in the 900 block of Zamora Circle in November.

Alexander was dating the baby's father who was military training in Fort Polk, Louisiana at the time of the abuse. The baby's father, Matthew Strickland, said there were no warning signs that Alexander would ever be violent with his one-year-old daughter, Jocilynn.

The baby was taken to the hospital and died about a month later.

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Thanks for the update Nite, I'm so glad she got the time that she did.