Mom’s Boyfriend Beat 15-Month-Old So Badly It ‘Ripped Her Heart in Several Places” 

No one knows exactly what happened in the apartment that night, but the outcome was truly horrific. Mildred Carlton left her 15-month-old daughter, Tynisha, in the care of her boyfriend, Walter Caldwell. When she returned home that evening, Caldwell was gone, and Tynisha was in bed. At first, it appeared as if Tynisha was sleeping, Then, Mildred noticed dark spots on her neck. When she tried to pick up her daughter, her body was stiff; Tynisha was dead. A Medical Examiner determined Tynisha had been beaten to death with such force that it split her heart in several places. 

Mildred and Walter had been dating for about four months. She was seven weeks pregnant with his child. The couple lived in an apartment with Mildred’s son and Tynisha, along with another couple and their child. Although she had only known Walter for a few months, she trusted him enough to babysit Tynisha while she worked. She told media outlets after the incident that Walter played with and took good care of her daughter. Most importantly, Tynisha enjoyed spending time with Walter.

Mildred Found Tynisha Dead

Walter babysat Tynisha on March 2, 2009. Some reports say Mildred visited a hospital, while others say she worked. In either case, she returned home around 11:30 p.m. The front door to the apartment was unlocked, and Walter was gone. Tynisha lay in her bed and appeared to be sleeping.  Mildred noticed bruising on her daughter’s neck and stepped closer. When she touched Tynisha, her body was stiff. Mildred called one of her roommates into Tynisha’s bedroom. She grabbed the toddler’s arm, and her entire body lifted. Tynisha was dead. The roommate called 911.

Responding officers immediately noticed trauma to Tynisha’s head, scalp, face, and neck. Mildred agreed to provide a statement and headed to the police station.

Walter  Admitted That He Strangled Tynisha

Early Wednesday morning, the day after Tynisha’s murder, Walter called Mildred from a pay phone in Albany. “By now you know that she’s dead,” he told his girlfriend. Mildred demanded to know what happened to her daughter. Walter claimed there had been an accident; a television set had fallen on top of the toddler. He put Neosporin on her head and rocked her to sleep. A while later, Tynisha woke up crying uncontrollably. He placed his hands around Tynisha’s throat and squeezed. Mildred went to the police station to alert them to the conversation. While at the station, Walter called Mildred a second time.

With the conversation played aloud on speakerphone, Walter admitted again that he strangled Tynisha to death. He apologized to Mildred and asked her to wire money so he could return to Atlanta and turn himself in. She agreed to wire the money and meet him at Underground Atlanta to talk. After speaking to Walter, Mildred flagged down a passing police car. Caldwell walked up to the car and told the officer, “I killed her child last night.” He was taken into custody.

Walter’s Denial and Tynisha’s Autopsy

At the station, Caldwell told police the television fell on Tynisha, and he ‘blacked out.’ He denied hitting Tynisha but admitted that he strangled her. He claimed that he believed Tynisha was still alive after he strangled her.

The medical examiner determined that Tynisha had bruises on her face and head, hemorrhaging underneath her eyelid and in her left eye, cheeks, and tongue muscles; bruising to her right ear extending five inches into her scalp; hemorrhaging in the scalp; brain swelling; bruising to the torso; hemorrhaging to the abdomen; tears in the heart in multiple places; a bruised right lung; tears in the liver; broken ribs;  hemorrhaging around the kidneys and small intestines; and bruising on her legs. 

Some of the injuries were consistent with strangulation, while others were consistent with being struck with a closed fist or foot. Some of the injuries could have been caused by a television falling onto the little girl. Most of the remaining injuries could not have been caused by a television. Tynisha’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the heart and liver. The Medical Examiner determined that Tynisha could have possibly survived her injuries if she had received immediate medical treatment.

Walter Caldwell was found guilty of Tynisha’s murder. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Sources:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34842653/tynisha_tonyet-carlton

https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/caldwell-v-state-s18a0640-895315282

https://law.justia.com/cases/georgia/supreme-court/2018/s18a0640.html