Terrance Leslie set to be sentenced for murder of 17-month-old girl inside Maplewood apartment
UPDATE: Terrance Leslie has been sentenced to 40 years in prison. Click here to read more.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Maplewood man is set to be sentenced for the murder of an infant girl last October.
Terrance Valdez Leslie, 27, originally pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, but last month changed it to guilty as a result of a plea deal, according to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office.
According to the criminal complaint, Leslie called 911 on the night of Oct. 18, 2022 to report that a 17-month-old girl who was in his care had been badly burned by hot bath water. She died soon after at a local hospital.
Investigators determined that the bath water couldn't have caused her injuries, and they were instead from "ongoing physical abuse." The child's cause of death was later ruled a homicide by "multiple traumatic injuries."
Leslie and the girl's mother were initially both arrested, but the mother was later released and never charged in connection with her daughter's death. The mother told investigators that Leslie had abused her during the few weeks they had been dating – even attacking her while she held the infant.
During the investigation, police found videos on Leslie's phone that showed him "assaulting and yelling" at the injured infant. Police believe Leslie intentionally recorded the abuse.
"I've never investigated a crime more disturbing or more heinous than this murder," said Maplewood Police Department's Lt. Joe Steiner last November.
Leslie is expected to be sentenced to decades in prison Thursday in a Ramsey County court.
Local Domestic Violence Resources
Women's Advocates
Crisis Line: (651) 227-8284
St. Paul & Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project
Crisis Line: (651) 645-2824
Minnesota Day One
Crisis Line: 1-866-223-1111
Esperanza United
Bilingual crisis line: (651) 772-1611.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
