Mother, stepfather murder 10-year-old girl after beating her with belt, metal mop and their fists: DA

The little girl was reportedly beaten so badly before death, she couldn’t talk without slurring her words.

A Maine man and woman are behind bars after allegedly murdering a little girl who was put through extreme torture and abuse prior to her death.

NECN reports that 10-year-old Marissa Kennedy was subject to months of physical abuse prior to her death, according to details released in a police affidavit on Tuesday. Her mother and stepfather, Julio and Sharon Carrillo, of Stockton Springs, are charged with murder after the little girl passed away from her injuries on February 25 inside the family’s condominium.

According to Maine State Police, Julio Carrillo called 911 on February 25 and said his stepdaughter fell down basement stairs and injured herself. He indicated the little couldn’t get up after the fall. Yet, when police and EMT workers arrived to check on her, they discovered numerous injuries all over Marissa’s body, including bruises to her head, knees, legs, and stomach.

Police separated the couple and questioned them. According to the affidavit, both suspects changed their stories several times before admitting to brutally abusing t child. The suspects reportedly said they beat the girl with a belt after demanding that she kneel on the kitchen floor and lift her arms above her head. They said they punched her with fists and hit her in the ribs with a metal mop. The mop struck the child so hard that it broke in half.

The Press Herald reports that the suspects said they chose to have Marissa kneel on tile floor in the kitchen because it would hurt her more than kneeling on carpet. Sharon Carrillo reportedly admitted that the child screamed the entire time they doled out the beatings, which typically consisted of 10 to 15 hits with a leather belt. She was found with scabbed over wounds on both knees.

The beatings reportedly happened daily. Eventually, the injuries left Marissa unable to walk. She couldn’t talk without slurring her words. According to Julio Carillo, his wife accused her daughter of “faking,” and subsequently beat her more. The final beating doled out by the suspects resulted in fatal injuries, which they tried to cover up by saying Marissa fell, according to police.

Julio Carrillo allegedly admitted that he carried the deceased little girl to the basement, then knocked over a few chairs to make it look like she fell.

“Julio Carrillo explained that he knew Marissa Kennedy was badly injured and in need of medical help but chose not to get her help because he figured Sharon Carrillo would lie about how she was hurting Marissa Kennedy and he would be the only one left to blame because he would be honest about what he was doing to her,” the affidavit read.

Marissa’s official cause of death, per the Chief Medical Examiner in Stockton Springs, was “Battered Child Syndrome.” The couple had two other children in the home, ages 1 and 2, but neither showed any signs of abuse. They children were taken into the custody of DHHS.

Police arrested both Julio and Sharon Carrillo and charged them with one felony count each of depraved indifference murder.

[Feature Photo: Julio and Sharon Carrillo/Police Handout]