Florida Mom Convicted of Manslaughter in Baby Son's Death

Initial Discovery and Investigation

• 🚨 A newborn baby, Dominic, was found unresponsive and rushed to the hospital on November 8th, 2021, in Sarasota, Florida.
• 💔 Doctors discovered severe head trauma, and the baby was pronounced dead days later after being taken off life support.
• 🔍 Detectives began an investigation, interviewing the mother, Lily Shite, who was the only adult present with Dominic and his 2-year-old brother when the incident occurred.

The Mother's Account and Previous Injuries

• 👶 Lily described her day, including feeding Dominic and putting him in his bassinet before discovering he was not breathing and had blue lips.
• 🏥 As a nurse, she panicked, ran to a neighbor's house, and initiated CPR, noting brown, junky liquid coming from the baby's mouth.
• 🦴 Investigators learned that weeks prior, Dominic had suffered a fractured leg, which occurred when his older brother accidentally pulled on Lily's hand while she was holding the baby.
• 🧠 Medical staff had performed X-rays and an MRI on Dominic's head when his leg was broken, finding no other issues at that time.

Unexplained Injuries and Interrogation

• 🧐 Detectives focused on a two-to-four-hour window after the father left for band practice, during which Dominic sustained unexplained injuries.
• 🗣️ Lily insisted she had no explanation for these injuries and denied intentionally harming her son, citing stress and potential postpartum depression.
• 🏥 An autopsy revealed additional, unexplained head injuries, including a previous skull fracture and brain bleed, leading the medical examiner to rule the death a homicide.

Trial and Sentencing

• ⚖️ Lily Shite was arrested months later and charged with second-degree murder, later downgraded to manslaughter for the trial.
• 👨‍⚖️ In August 2025, a jury found her guilty of manslaughter.
• 📜 Her attorney argued the state lacked evidence of malicious intent, describing the act as negligent but criminal.
• 😥 The judge sentenced Lily to 10 years in prison, with credit for time served, meaning she would serve approximately five more years.