January 9, 2025 • 19 mins
In a housing complex in Dayton, Ohio, China Arnold lived with her children and boyfriend, Terrell Talley. On August 30, 2005, a dispute over the paternity of their child, Paris, turned physical. In response, China placed her newborn daughter in a microwave for two minutes. The infant died almost instantly from the heat.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
Welcome to No Tears for Black Girls, a true crime series
created, written and produced byaward-winning writer Jon
Reedberg and hosted by Samantha Paul Paris.
Tally was only 28 days old when her mother, Chyna Arnold, placed
her in a microwave and turned iton the helpless infant skin
(00:21):
blistered and charred as the heat ravaged her tiny body from
the inside out. In 2005, Arnold was convicted of
killing Paris in this unimaginable way, unlike
anything they had encountered before.
The medical examiner stared in disbelief at Paris's injuries.
Tiny blisters pockmarked her skin.
(00:43):
Internal organs were damaged andburnt.
They struggled to fathom how a mother could inflict such
torture on her newborn baby. It took until 2011 for forensic
experts to release more information about how microwaves
affect human tissue, spurred by the horrific evidence in
Arnold's case. Though it came too late for
(01:04):
Paris, her suffering shed light on a new form of abuse that
shocked the nation. China.
Arnold's early life is largely undocumented.
Born on March 29th, 1980 in Dayton, OH, she lived a life
with few public details. On August 30th, 2005, Paris
(01:25):
Tally was being looked after by one of Arnold's sisters.
While Arnold and her boyfriend, Terrelle Talley went out for the
evening, the couple spent time at a public park drinking rum
and talking. As the evening wore on, they
grew intoxicated. Terrelle began questioning if
Paris was his child, creating tension.
(01:46):
They realized they had drunk toomuch and attempted to go home
but argued along the way. Once at their residence, Terrell
left the car angrily while Chinastayed in the driver's seat.
This marked the start of a strained relationship marked by
doubt. During a date night, China
Arnold and Terrell Talley arguedover perceived disrespect, which
(02:08):
escalated to violence as they drove home.
The argument continued upon reaching their destination,
leading to Terrell leaving for unknown reasons and China going
upstairs in frustration, stayingawake until early morning before
calming down. China's sister babysat while she
and Terrell went out. Upon returning home inebriated
(02:30):
and upset, China took the baby and placed it in the microwave,
thinking it would solve their problems.
The ACT resulted in a trial due to its seriousness.
Both China and Terrell were known for chaotic behavior and
criminal activities. Believing it was her only way to
win back Tyrell, China put their28 day old child in the
(02:51):
microwave for two minutes on high heat.
After finding the baby alive butinjured, she cleaned it up and
placed it in a car seat next to her as she slept off her
intoxication. Tyrell returned home at 5:00 AM
to find his daughter cold with burns and rushed her to the
hospital. Doctors worked for 30 minutes
(03:11):
before she succumbed. Police questioned China about
the burns, receiving no clear explanation as they did not
match her account. China Arnold, a medical
professional, disputed with doctors about the burns on her
child. Despite their expertise.
She claimed Paris only had peeling skin.
When inconsistencies arose in her story, police were called at
(03:35):
the hospital. She changed her account again,
saying she found Paris crying at2:00 AM, gave her a bottle, but
laid her back down when she wouldn't stop crying.
Upon waking later, Paris was missing from where she'd been
sleeping with Terrell Talley. Terrell had a different account.
He arrived around 3:00 AM and slept on the couch without the
(03:55):
baby present. These conflicting stories raised
suspicion among investigators and LED to further questioning
of both parents. When he woke up, he found Paris
face down in China, already deceased.
The police obtained a search warrant to investigate the house
due to conflicting stories from both parents about the cause of
(04:16):
burns on the baby. They were looking for heating
blankets or other sources of thermal burns.
As doctors identified this as the cause of death.
The microwave was initially overlooked as a potential
source. Neighbors confirmed that China's
sister had watched the children while the couple went out.
The residue was found in the tubfrom a bath China had given
(04:38):
earlier, but she claimed it was from three in the afternoon.
The police became suspicious after hearing about arguments
over paternity and seeing China waiting on the balcony at 4:00
in the morning for Terrell's return.
When confronted, she changed herstory several times before
admitting concern that Terrell might take the baby during their
argument. However, when asked if the baby
(05:00):
had burns upon return, she refused to answer and appeared
nervous. China Arnold face charges of
child endangerment following the2005 death of her daughter Paris
from hypothermia. A medical examiner identified
similar injuries in another caseinvolving a microwave leading to
a homicide. Ruling detectives discovered
(05:23):
Paris's DNA in a microwave at the apartment Arnold shared with
Terrell Talley. Tally was convicted of
aggravated murder and sentenced to life without parole in
September 2008, but this verdictwas later overturned due to
prosecutorial misconduct. Despite multiple trials and
appeals, the case remains unresolved.
(05:44):
Five the. Third trial begins for a Dayton
mother accused of killing her infant daughter in a microwave.
Good evening. I'm Michelle Kingsfield.
And I'm Mark Allen. The case itself is now five
years old, but if a jury convicts China Arnold this time,
she could be put to death. Megan O'Rourke has just returned
from the courtroom and has the first day's developments.
Megan. Late this morning, the jury was
(06:05):
seated and Judge Mary Wiseman wasted no time getting started
with opening statements about 1:30 with China Arnold seated in
front of the courtroom, prosecutors set the stage
detailing the events of August 29th, 2005 leading into the next
morning. The day 28 day old Paris Talley
died. Prosecutors say Arnold was drunk
when she burned baby Paris in a microwave inside their Parkside
(06:26):
apartment. They also say Arnold changed her
story several times over the years and even confessed to the
crime. But Arnold's attorney, John Paul
Ryan says she is not a killer inthe so-called confession has
been taken out of context. Now, so far, these are a lot of
the same arguments we've heard in Arnold's previous two trials.
The first one, of course, ended in a mistrial.
The second time, she was found guilty, but that ruling was
(06:48):
later overturned because of prosecutorial misconduct.
Today, both sides pledged to prove their point.
The state is confident that you will return verdicts of guilty
to both the charge of aggravatedmurder as well as the aggravated
circumstance specification that this defendant is guilty for
(07:09):
purposely causing the death of achild under 13.
There will be no way that you could say the government has
proved beyond a reasonable doubtthe China Arnold purposely cause
the death of Paris tally and we ask sincerely if I'm.
(07:35):
Now, opening statements took just about an hour and after
that, the state called its firstwitness, Doctor Russell, up to
Grove to the stand. He's a forensic pathologist for
the Montgomery County Coroner's Office.
During his testimony, China Arnold asked to leave the
courtroom because of the graphicautopsy photos.
Now, the trial is scheduled to resume at 8:30 tomorrow morning.
There are potential 265 witnesses that could be called
(07:58):
to the stand. One other interesting point, the
jury is made-up of 16 people, including four alternates, and
out of all of them, only two aremen.
Michelle Court just wrapped up for the day a few minutes ago.
So far, the states called for witnesses including a forensic
pathologist, a nurse, the formermedical examiner for the
Commonwealth of Virginia, and a New York man who's dedicated his
(08:18):
life to studying microwave ovens.
To this point, all the testimonyis focused on establishing the
timeline and method of how baby Paris Tally died.
China Arnold sits quietly in thefront of an almost empty
courtroom. Unlike her previous two trials,
on Wednesday, only a few people filled the pews.
Throughout the day. They heard testimony from 4
(08:38):
different people, including Kimberly Snyder, a nurse at
Dayton Children's who was in thetrauma room when China Arnold
brought in her 28 day old daughter Paris Talley, just
yelling out that her baby was not burned, that her skin was
peeling off. She told the jury Paris was
pronounced dead about 15 minutesas she was brought in, but at
the time they didn't know what caused the baby's bizarre
(09:00):
injuries. It was later determined that
baby Paris was burned in a microwave.
She died because. She was overheated.
She was. Cooked doctor Marcela Fiero, the
former chief medical examiner for the Commonwealth of
Virginia, investigated the only other death on record in the US
where an infant was killed in a microwave.
I know. She died very quickly after.
(09:22):
Her temperature. Reach 107 or 100.
And eight At one point, the microwave from Arnold's Parkside
apartment was wheeled in, and Robert Shiffman, an expert on
the appliance, explained why Paris's burns were concentrated
on her back. Microwave energy.
In this case, coming from up here now, the trial is scheduled
to resume tomorrow morning at 8:30.
Of course, stay with two news onair and online at wdtn.com and
(09:45):
we'll keep you posted on any newdevelopment.
After almost 4 hours of closing arguments, jurors finally have
the case. Just a few minutes ago, they
started the difficult task of deciding whether or not China
Arnold is guilty of aggravated murder, which would mean that
she not only killed baby Paris, but that she meant to do it.
(10:06):
China Arnold started the 8th dayof her homicide trial in good
spirits, waving and smiling at family members as they made
their way into the courtroom. But her grin was long gone by
the time prosecutors took the floor for closing arguments.
Assistant Montgomery County Prosecutor Daniel Brandt told
the jury Arnold didn't just killher 28 day old daughter, she
made a series of conscious decisions that ultimately led to
(10:29):
the baby's death. She had to press Start to cook
her child. She had to wait while baby Paris
was in that oven. Prosecutors say Arnold could
have stopped the oven at any point, but instead let baby
Paris burn for at least 2 minutes. 45 seconds, would you
(10:51):
stop it? Now prosecutors dramatically
counted the seconds as the courtroom sat in silence.
This. Baby.
(11:11):
Was cooked in this microwave forat least 2 minutes.
If that's not purposeful, I don't know what is.
But Arnold's attorneys call it acase of circumstantial evidence
that's been stretched to make China Arnold look like a monster
(11:31):
do. You really think that any mode
could sit there and put their baby in the microwave for two
minutes, 3 minutes and just sit there?
John Paul Ryan says since day one, investigators have had
their sights set on Arnold, eventhough they've never had hard
evidence to prove it. This case has unanswered
questions, and it might have unanswered questions because
they charged the wrong person. In my argument to you is in the
(11:57):
China Arnold's not guilty because they can't prove it.
My argument to you is China girls.
China Arnold's not killing because she's innocent.
Innocent China Arnold is innocent of these charges.
Now, again, the jury has the case right now and is going to
be sequestered at a secret location this evening.
Of course, we'll let you know assoon as a verdict is reached to
(12:19):
stay with two news on air and online for any developments.
China Arnold breaks down after she is convicted of.
Killing her infant daughter in the microwave.
Good evening again. I'm Marcia.
Baumhart and I'm Mark Young. It took the jury less than 7
hours to reach that verdict. Megan Rourke was in court today.
She is live with Family reactionMegan.
As you probably know, this is Arnold's third trial.
(12:41):
The first resulted in a mistrial.
The second time she was convicted and sentenced to life
in prison. But that ruling was later
overturned by the Court of Appeals.
Which brings us up to today. Arnold was found guilty, but
family members are now criticizing the court, saying
she didn't get a fair trial. This jury.
Being duly. Impaneled and sworn.
Finds the defendant. China Arnold guilty of the.
(13:04):
Crime of aggravated murder. For the death of Paris tally.
On August. 30th of 2005 China Arnold drops her head in defeat
as the jury's decision starts tosink in.
To juror. #7. Is this?
Your verdict? To juror number. 8.
Is this your? Verdict.
(13:24):
It took 12 jurors just a few hours to reach the unanimous
decision. China Arnold purposely killed
her 28 day old daughter Paris Talley by burning her in a
microwave in 2005. Because Arnold still has to be
sentenced, the judge kept a gag order in place so prosecutors
and Arnold's attorneys aren't able to react.
But immediately after court, herfamily and supporters have lots
(13:48):
to say. This is racism.
This is injustice. Bishop Richard Cox, leader of
the local chapter of the SCLC, says an alternate juror was
released earlier this week because she was overheard
talking about her feelings on the case and Arnold's guilt.
Judge Mary Wiseman never addressed the dismissal in open
court, and Cox says that raises a lot of questions.
(14:10):
I think this had an effect on the other jurors and effect on
the outcome of the guilty verdict in this case.
I. Think it should.
Have been declared a mistrial, Ithink.
The judge. Should have addressed it.
She did not. This makes me think that China
didn't. Get a fair.
Case because if this juror feelsthat way, how do we know the
(14:30):
rest of them didn't feel this way?
Already had a preconceived notion that China was guilty.
Crystal McGee says the only thing that was proven in court
was that her niece can't get a fair trial in Dayton and was
sentencing still to come and thedeath penalty on the table.
She worries the worst is still to come.
Yes, yes, I'm, I'm fearing. I'm fearing for her life.
(14:51):
Yes, you know I have a faith in God.
And. I have to trust.
Now, the jury was released for the weekend but will return on
Monday for the first day of the death penalty phase.
That's essentially a second trial, and jurors will have to
decide if Arnold should be put to death.
And the decision on whether a Dayton mom should be put to
death for killing her infant daughter in a microwave oven.
(15:14):
Bengy O'Rourke is live to explain the unusual development
today in the China Arnold trial.Megan.
Mark right now, China Arnold is undergoing a mental health
evaluation which has delayed thejury from moving forward with
sentencing. On Friday, after just a couple
hours of deliberation, the jury found Arnold guilty of
aggravated murder. She killed her 28 day old
daughter, Paris Tally, in a microwave in August 2005.
(15:37):
Arnold was scheduled to return to court this morning so that
the same jury could start the second phase of her trial, which
is to decide whether or not she should get the death penalty.
However, Arnold's attorney surprised everyone with the
mental health evaluation request, which is typically done
before a trial starts. In this case, it's caused a
delay, but 2 News legal analyst Larry Denny says it won't affect
the jury's verdict. There's no mistrial the trial
(16:01):
part's over the the assessment the mitigation phase is asking
for. The mental assessment will only
go to the mitigation phase that the jury is about to consider
relative to sentencing. So the trial, guilt or innocence
part is unaffected by this. Now, the findings from Arnold's
mental health evaluation are dueby 4:30 Wednesday afternoon.
(16:22):
Jurors will then return Thursdaymorning, and at that point, the
sentencing phase is scheduled toresume.
Well, China. Arnold's family and friends tell
me they are relieved that her life has been spared.
They're already working with herattorneys to get the appeals
process started. In the meantime, Arnold will go
back to prison, where prosecutors say she belongs.
This jury does. Therefore, unanimously find.
(16:43):
That the. Sentence of life.
Imprisonment without. The possibility of.
Parole. Should be.
Imposed upon, it defended China.Arnold breaking a smile and
breathing a sigh of relief. China Arnold is consoled by her
attorney immediately after learning the jury's decision to
spare her life. It took the jury roughly 6 hours
to return their decision ruling out death and instead opting for
(17:03):
a punishment of life in prison without the possibility of
parole. I was relieved that the jury
sing that there was a life worthsaving because once that death
penalty had been afflicted, you can't take it back, and I'm glad
that they use. Common sense and.
(17:24):
Maybe a little. Doubt.
Last week, the same jury found Arnold guilty of killing her 28
day old daughter Paris Talley ina microwave oven in 2005.
Fights not over. We're very satisfied that the
jury saw that China Arnold has alot of worth in who she is as a
person. Arnold's attorney, John Paul
(17:44):
Ryan, says there are witnesses who have information that proves
his client is innocent, but theywere not allowed to testify.
You may remember this is Arnold's third trial.
The first resulted in a mistrialbecause of a new witness who
came forward during the proceedings.
Arnold was convicted and sentenced to life in prison
during the second trial, but that ruling was later overturned
because of prosecutor misconduct.
(18:06):
This time, the state's attorney say they got it right.
As it stands right now, this defendant has been convicted
twice now by two separate jurieswho heard the facts of this
case, not just rumors that were circulating in the community,
but the facts and evidence of this case that proved beyond any
doubt that this defendant committed this heinous.
Crime. Thank you for listening to No
(18:28):
Tears for Black Black Girls. Please download the Alive
podcast app and follow us on allmajor podcast platforms to stay
updated with our latest content.If there is a topic or true
crime case that you would like us to cover, please send us an
e-mail at No Tears for blackgirls@gmail.com or visit
(18:49):
our website No Tears for blackgirls.com and leave us a
voice message through our contact page.
And always remember, stay loved,stay blessed and be safe.
Welcome to No Tears for Black Girls, a true crime series
created, written and produced byaward-winning writer Jon
Reedberg and hosted by Samantha Paul Paris.
Tally was only 28 days old when her mother, Chyna Arnold, placed
her in a microwave and turned iton the helpless infant skin
(00:21):
blistered and charred as the heat ravaged her tiny body from
the inside out. In 2005, Arnold was convicted of
killing Paris in this unimaginable way, unlike
anything they had encountered before.
The medical examiner stared in disbelief at Paris's injuries.
Tiny blisters pockmarked her skin.
(00:43):
Internal organs were damaged andburnt.
They struggled to fathom how a mother could inflict such
torture on her newborn baby. It took until 2011 for forensic
experts to release more information about how microwaves
affect human tissue, spurred by the horrific evidence in
Arnold's case. Though it came too late for
(01:04):
Paris, her suffering shed light on a new form of abuse that
shocked the nation. China.
Arnold's early life is largely undocumented.
Born on March 29th, 1980 in Dayton, OH, she lived a life
with few public details. On August 30th, 2005, Paris
(01:25):
Tally was being looked after by one of Arnold's sisters.
While Arnold and her boyfriend, Terrelle Talley went out for the
evening, the couple spent time at a public park drinking rum
and talking. As the evening wore on, they
grew intoxicated. Terrelle began questioning if
Paris was his child, creating tension.
(01:46):
They realized they had drunk toomuch and attempted to go home
but argued along the way. Once at their residence, Terrell
left the car angrily while Chinastayed in the driver's seat.
This marked the start of a strained relationship marked by
doubt. During a date night, China
Arnold and Terrell Talley arguedover perceived disrespect, which
(02:08):
escalated to violence as they drove home.
The argument continued upon reaching their destination,
leading to Terrell leaving for unknown reasons and China going
upstairs in frustration, stayingawake until early morning before
calming down. China's sister babysat while she
and Terrell went out. Upon returning home inebriated
(02:30):
and upset, China took the baby and placed it in the microwave,
thinking it would solve their problems.
The ACT resulted in a trial due to its seriousness.
Both China and Terrell were known for chaotic behavior and
criminal activities. Believing it was her only way to
win back Tyrell, China put their28 day old child in the
(02:51):
microwave for two minutes on high heat.
After finding the baby alive butinjured, she cleaned it up and
placed it in a car seat next to her as she slept off her
intoxication. Tyrell returned home at 5:00 AM
to find his daughter cold with burns and rushed her to the
hospital. Doctors worked for 30 minutes
(03:11):
before she succumbed. Police questioned China about
the burns, receiving no clear explanation as they did not
match her account. China Arnold, a medical
professional, disputed with doctors about the burns on her
child. Despite their expertise.
She claimed Paris only had peeling skin.
When inconsistencies arose in her story, police were called at
(03:35):
the hospital. She changed her account again,
saying she found Paris crying at2:00 AM, gave her a bottle, but
laid her back down when she wouldn't stop crying.
Upon waking later, Paris was missing from where she'd been
sleeping with Terrell Talley. Terrell had a different account.
He arrived around 3:00 AM and slept on the couch without the
(03:55):
baby present. These conflicting stories raised
suspicion among investigators and LED to further questioning
of both parents. When he woke up, he found Paris
face down in China, already deceased.
The police obtained a search warrant to investigate the house
due to conflicting stories from both parents about the cause of
(04:16):
burns on the baby. They were looking for heating
blankets or other sources of thermal burns.
As doctors identified this as the cause of death.
The microwave was initially overlooked as a potential
source. Neighbors confirmed that China's
sister had watched the children while the couple went out.
The residue was found in the tubfrom a bath China had given
(04:38):
earlier, but she claimed it was from three in the afternoon.
The police became suspicious after hearing about arguments
over paternity and seeing China waiting on the balcony at 4:00
in the morning for Terrell's return.
When confronted, she changed herstory several times before
admitting concern that Terrell might take the baby during their
argument. However, when asked if the baby
(05:00):
had burns upon return, she refused to answer and appeared
nervous. China Arnold face charges of
child endangerment following the2005 death of her daughter Paris
from hypothermia. A medical examiner identified
similar injuries in another caseinvolving a microwave leading to
a homicide. Ruling detectives discovered
(05:23):
Paris's DNA in a microwave at the apartment Arnold shared with
Terrell Talley. Tally was convicted of
aggravated murder and sentenced to life without parole in
September 2008, but this verdictwas later overturned due to
prosecutorial misconduct. Despite multiple trials and
appeals, the case remains unresolved.
(05:44):
Five the. Third trial begins for a Dayton
mother accused of killing her infant daughter in a microwave.
Good evening. I'm Michelle Kingsfield.
And I'm Mark Allen. The case itself is now five
years old, but if a jury convicts China Arnold this time,
she could be put to death. Megan O'Rourke has just returned
from the courtroom and has the first day's developments.
Megan. Late this morning, the jury was
(06:05):
seated and Judge Mary Wiseman wasted no time getting started
with opening statements about 1:30 with China Arnold seated in
front of the courtroom, prosecutors set the stage
detailing the events of August 29th, 2005 leading into the next
morning. The day 28 day old Paris Talley
died. Prosecutors say Arnold was drunk
when she burned baby Paris in a microwave inside their Parkside
(06:26):
apartment. They also say Arnold changed her
story several times over the years and even confessed to the
crime. But Arnold's attorney, John Paul
Ryan says she is not a killer inthe so-called confession has
been taken out of context. Now, so far, these are a lot of
the same arguments we've heard in Arnold's previous two trials.
The first one, of course, ended in a mistrial.
The second time, she was found guilty, but that ruling was
(06:48):
later overturned because of prosecutorial misconduct.
Today, both sides pledged to prove their point.
The state is confident that you will return verdicts of guilty
to both the charge of aggravatedmurder as well as the aggravated
circumstance specification that this defendant is guilty for
(07:09):
purposely causing the death of achild under 13.
There will be no way that you could say the government has
proved beyond a reasonable doubtthe China Arnold purposely cause
the death of Paris tally and we ask sincerely if I'm.
(07:35):
Now, opening statements took just about an hour and after
that, the state called its firstwitness, Doctor Russell, up to
Grove to the stand. He's a forensic pathologist for
the Montgomery County Coroner's Office.
During his testimony, China Arnold asked to leave the
courtroom because of the graphicautopsy photos.
Now, the trial is scheduled to resume at 8:30 tomorrow morning.
There are potential 265 witnesses that could be called
(07:58):
to the stand. One other interesting point, the
jury is made-up of 16 people, including four alternates, and
out of all of them, only two aremen.
Michelle Court just wrapped up for the day a few minutes ago.
So far, the states called for witnesses including a forensic
pathologist, a nurse, the formermedical examiner for the
Commonwealth of Virginia, and a New York man who's dedicated his
(08:18):
life to studying microwave ovens.
To this point, all the testimonyis focused on establishing the
timeline and method of how baby Paris Tally died.
China Arnold sits quietly in thefront of an almost empty
courtroom. Unlike her previous two trials,
on Wednesday, only a few people filled the pews.
Throughout the day. They heard testimony from 4
(08:38):
different people, including Kimberly Snyder, a nurse at
Dayton Children's who was in thetrauma room when China Arnold
brought in her 28 day old daughter Paris Talley, just
yelling out that her baby was not burned, that her skin was
peeling off. She told the jury Paris was
pronounced dead about 15 minutesas she was brought in, but at
the time they didn't know what caused the baby's bizarre
(09:00):
injuries. It was later determined that
baby Paris was burned in a microwave.
She died because. She was overheated.
She was. Cooked doctor Marcela Fiero, the
former chief medical examiner for the Commonwealth of
Virginia, investigated the only other death on record in the US
where an infant was killed in a microwave.
I know. She died very quickly after.
(09:22):
Her temperature. Reach 107 or 100.
And eight At one point, the microwave from Arnold's Parkside
apartment was wheeled in, and Robert Shiffman, an expert on
the appliance, explained why Paris's burns were concentrated
on her back. Microwave energy.
In this case, coming from up here now, the trial is scheduled
to resume tomorrow morning at 8:30.
Of course, stay with two news onair and online at wdtn.com and
(09:45):
we'll keep you posted on any newdevelopment.
After almost 4 hours of closing arguments, jurors finally have
the case. Just a few minutes ago, they
started the difficult task of deciding whether or not China
Arnold is guilty of aggravated murder, which would mean that
she not only killed baby Paris, but that she meant to do it.
(10:06):
China Arnold started the 8th dayof her homicide trial in good
spirits, waving and smiling at family members as they made
their way into the courtroom. But her grin was long gone by
the time prosecutors took the floor for closing arguments.
Assistant Montgomery County Prosecutor Daniel Brandt told
the jury Arnold didn't just killher 28 day old daughter, she
made a series of conscious decisions that ultimately led to
(10:29):
the baby's death. She had to press Start to cook
her child. She had to wait while baby Paris
was in that oven. Prosecutors say Arnold could
have stopped the oven at any point, but instead let baby
Paris burn for at least 2 minutes. 45 seconds, would you
(10:51):
stop it? Now prosecutors dramatically
counted the seconds as the courtroom sat in silence.
This. Baby.
(11:11):
Was cooked in this microwave forat least 2 minutes.
If that's not purposeful, I don't know what is.
But Arnold's attorneys call it acase of circumstantial evidence
that's been stretched to make China Arnold look like a monster
(11:31):
do. You really think that any mode
could sit there and put their baby in the microwave for two
minutes, 3 minutes and just sit there?
John Paul Ryan says since day one, investigators have had
their sights set on Arnold, eventhough they've never had hard
evidence to prove it. This case has unanswered
questions, and it might have unanswered questions because
they charged the wrong person. In my argument to you is in the
(11:57):
China Arnold's not guilty because they can't prove it.
My argument to you is China girls.
China Arnold's not killing because she's innocent.
Innocent China Arnold is innocent of these charges.
Now, again, the jury has the case right now and is going to
be sequestered at a secret location this evening.
Of course, we'll let you know assoon as a verdict is reached to
(12:19):
stay with two news on air and online for any developments.
China Arnold breaks down after she is convicted of.
Killing her infant daughter in the microwave.
Good evening again. I'm Marcia.
Baumhart and I'm Mark Young. It took the jury less than 7
hours to reach that verdict. Megan Rourke was in court today.
She is live with Family reactionMegan.
As you probably know, this is Arnold's third trial.
(12:41):
The first resulted in a mistrial.
The second time she was convicted and sentenced to life
in prison. But that ruling was later
overturned by the Court of Appeals.
Which brings us up to today. Arnold was found guilty, but
family members are now criticizing the court, saying
she didn't get a fair trial. This jury.
Being duly. Impaneled and sworn.
Finds the defendant. China Arnold guilty of the.
(13:04):
Crime of aggravated murder. For the death of Paris tally.
On August. 30th of 2005 China Arnold drops her head in defeat
as the jury's decision starts tosink in.
To juror. #7. Is this?
Your verdict? To juror number. 8.
Is this your? Verdict.
(13:24):
It took 12 jurors just a few hours to reach the unanimous
decision. China Arnold purposely killed
her 28 day old daughter Paris Talley by burning her in a
microwave in 2005. Because Arnold still has to be
sentenced, the judge kept a gag order in place so prosecutors
and Arnold's attorneys aren't able to react.
But immediately after court, herfamily and supporters have lots
(13:48):
to say. This is racism.
This is injustice. Bishop Richard Cox, leader of
the local chapter of the SCLC, says an alternate juror was
released earlier this week because she was overheard
talking about her feelings on the case and Arnold's guilt.
Judge Mary Wiseman never addressed the dismissal in open
court, and Cox says that raises a lot of questions.
(14:10):
I think this had an effect on the other jurors and effect on
the outcome of the guilty verdict in this case.
I. Think it should.
Have been declared a mistrial, Ithink.
The judge. Should have addressed it.
She did not. This makes me think that China
didn't. Get a fair.
Case because if this juror feelsthat way, how do we know the
(14:30):
rest of them didn't feel this way?
Already had a preconceived notion that China was guilty.
Crystal McGee says the only thing that was proven in court
was that her niece can't get a fair trial in Dayton and was
sentencing still to come and thedeath penalty on the table.
She worries the worst is still to come.
Yes, yes, I'm, I'm fearing. I'm fearing for her life.
(14:51):
Yes, you know I have a faith in God.
And. I have to trust.
Now, the jury was released for the weekend but will return on
Monday for the first day of the death penalty phase.
That's essentially a second trial, and jurors will have to
decide if Arnold should be put to death.
And the decision on whether a Dayton mom should be put to
death for killing her infant daughter in a microwave oven.
(15:14):
Bengy O'Rourke is live to explain the unusual development
today in the China Arnold trial.Megan.
Mark right now, China Arnold is undergoing a mental health
evaluation which has delayed thejury from moving forward with
sentencing. On Friday, after just a couple
hours of deliberation, the jury found Arnold guilty of
aggravated murder. She killed her 28 day old
daughter, Paris Tally, in a microwave in August 2005.
(15:37):
Arnold was scheduled to return to court this morning so that
the same jury could start the second phase of her trial, which
is to decide whether or not she should get the death penalty.
However, Arnold's attorney surprised everyone with the
mental health evaluation request, which is typically done
before a trial starts. In this case, it's caused a
delay, but 2 News legal analyst Larry Denny says it won't affect
the jury's verdict. There's no mistrial the trial
(16:01):
part's over the the assessment the mitigation phase is asking
for. The mental assessment will only
go to the mitigation phase that the jury is about to consider
relative to sentencing. So the trial, guilt or innocence
part is unaffected by this. Now, the findings from Arnold's
mental health evaluation are dueby 4:30 Wednesday afternoon.
(16:22):
Jurors will then return Thursdaymorning, and at that point, the
sentencing phase is scheduled toresume.
Well, China. Arnold's family and friends tell
me they are relieved that her life has been spared.
They're already working with herattorneys to get the appeals
process started. In the meantime, Arnold will go
back to prison, where prosecutors say she belongs.
This jury does. Therefore, unanimously find.
(16:43):
That the. Sentence of life.
Imprisonment without. The possibility of.
Parole. Should be.
Imposed upon, it defended China.Arnold breaking a smile and
breathing a sigh of relief. China Arnold is consoled by her
attorney immediately after learning the jury's decision to
spare her life. It took the jury roughly 6 hours
to return their decision ruling out death and instead opting for
(17:03):
a punishment of life in prison without the possibility of
parole. I was relieved that the jury
sing that there was a life worthsaving because once that death
penalty had been afflicted, you can't take it back, and I'm glad
that they use. Common sense and.
(17:24):
Maybe a little. Doubt.
Last week, the same jury found Arnold guilty of killing her 28
day old daughter Paris Talley ina microwave oven in 2005.
Fights not over. We're very satisfied that the
jury saw that China Arnold has alot of worth in who she is as a
person. Arnold's attorney, John Paul
(17:44):
Ryan, says there are witnesses who have information that proves
his client is innocent, but theywere not allowed to testify.
You may remember this is Arnold's third trial.
The first resulted in a mistrialbecause of a new witness who
came forward during the proceedings.
Arnold was convicted and sentenced to life in prison
during the second trial, but that ruling was later overturned
because of prosecutor misconduct.
(18:06):
This time, the state's attorney say they got it right.
As it stands right now, this defendant has been convicted
twice now by two separate jurieswho heard the facts of this
case, not just rumors that were circulating in the community,
but the facts and evidence of this case that proved beyond any
doubt that this defendant committed this heinous.
Crime. Thank you for listening to No
(18:28):
Tears for Black Black Girls. Please download the Alive
podcast app and follow us on allmajor podcast platforms to stay
updated with our latest content.If there is a topic or true
crime case that you would like us to cover, please send us an
e-mail at No Tears for blackgirls@gmail.com or visit
(18:49):
our website No Tears for blackgirls.com and leave us a
voice message through our contact page.
And always remember, stay loved,stay blessed and be safe.
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