LAKE COUNTY – A couple arrested for starving their baby to death in what police called a “deplorable,” filthy home was sentenced to 13 years in prison Monday.
Margaret Lehman, 27, and 30-year-old Mark Edward Brittian Jr. were arrested in September 2021 on aggravated manslaughter charges in the death of their 11-month-old daughter, Marcelyn Brittian.
Their 3-year-old child was turned over to other family members.
Circuit Judge Cary F. Rada sentenced Lehman to 13 years in prison and Brittian to 13.25 years after the two entered into a negotiated plea.
“This is disgusting, the most vulnerable of our society has been victimized by the most evil. At least in prison, they’ll both receive food, unlike their innocent child,” said State Attorney Bill Gladson.
Leesburg police could smell rotting food and garbage as they approached the front door on Pine Street after receiving a 911 call about the baby not breathing.
The child was covered in bruises, dirt, and what appeared to be dry feces in her filthy playpen. “The palms of the infant’s hands and the bottoms of her feet were so covered with dirt and grime that areas appeared dark brown, and her skin color was not visible. The infant’s fingernails were unkept and filled with dirt and debris,” according to the probable cause affidavit.
In addition, someone had punched several holes in the walls. The baby’s mattress on the floor was dirty and without bedding.
The baby was taken to UF Health hospital a few blocks away where she was pronounced dead.
An autopsy concluded that she had not been fed for two or three days.
Lehman claimed she had fed the baby a bottle three times the day before but the baby was not eating because she had a fever.
Brittain said they thought the baby was teething. He told me in an interview for the Daily Commercial that the child had a fever for several days. Lehman said she had also been sick.
“She (Lehman) is pregnant, too,” Brittian said.
The arrest report also cited a federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth chart stating that the 50th percentile weight for a child of that age is 20.6 pounds. “At 13 pounds, 4.4 ounces… the infant was below the third percentile….”
Lehman told police she discovered the child not breathing and called 911, while Brittain performed CPR with the aid of the emergency operator.
However, investigators said he made two calls – one to his father, another to his sister – in the 15 to 20 minutes before the call was placed to 911.
“A third call also appeared in his call log that occurred during the time that Margaret was on the phone with 911 and he was reportedly performing CPR,” the arrest affidavit stated.
The couple said they had tried to take the child to their pediatrician. They said the doctor was out of the office, or when they tried to call, they were put on hold for hours.
Brittian told investigators taking the child to the emergency room would have been “a last option” because of concerns about Covid.
Police obtained a search warrant of the home. They found a newer model 50-inch TV and Nintendo Switch game system. They also found $50 in cash on a dresser.
The Department of Children and Families also responded to the scene. While talking to the abuse investigators, Brittian took a drug test and tested positive. “He admitted to having used cocaine in the days leading up to the incident,” the report said.