A Georgia man was sentenced to 50 years in jail after putting antifreeze in his newborn daughter's bottle in an attempt to kill her. The man, Curtis Jack, admitted that he tried to kill the baby because he didn't want to have to pay child support for her.
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On October 1, 2020, Jack picked up bottles of breast milk from the baby's mother, who was still in the hospital after giving birth to the baby on September 24, 2020. He was bringing the bottles to the baby's grandmother, who was caring for her as well as the mother's other child. Within a day of having the bottles, the 18-day-old baby became "critically ill," according to police.
At the time, the South Fulton police said that the baby suffered "serious injuries." She was taken to the local children's hospital where she tested positive for ethylene glycol, a “chemical often found in automotive antifreeze,” according to authorities. After the initial investigation, Jack was identified as a main suspect, and warrants were obtained for a criminal attempt to commit murder and cruelty to children in the first degree.
Jack admitted to South Fulton police that he poisoned the breast milk because he didn't want to pay child support despite having a well-paying job. He also allegedly "insisted" the mother terminate the pregnancy. But as soon as he was indicted, he took back his confession.
"It’s beyond getting a confession, we still have to prove someone committed the crime. You still have to prove that the person is guilty," Sergeant Dickerson told WSB-TV.
Jack's trial for the attempted murder of the now 3-year-old child included testimony from "the child's mother, grandmother, law enforcement officers, and medical experts, including a demonstration of how easy it was to poison the breast milk," police told People magazine. The jury found him guilty of all counts, and he was sentenced to 50 years in jail. He will serve 40 of them in custody.
