The Detroit, Michigan man was so obsessed about potty training his daughter he fatally beat his 2-year-old daughter when she had an accident, a prosecutor said in the opening address to the jury in the murder trial of the man for first degree murder.
D'Andre Lane is also accused of child molestation for the disappearance of Bianca Jones, whose body has never been found. Lane told police that the child was kidnapped during a carjacking. The car was found less than an hour later, but she was not in it.
Lane, who had seven children with seven women, is accused of beating to death Bianca with a stick and towel wrapped in duct tape, and disposed of her body. Lane told officers during questioning that he hit the child for wetting herself. "He believes that if a two year old has an accident they should be physically punished," Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Carin Goldfarb told jurors. "The accused staged a carjacking to cover up the death of his baby."
Lane put the child's body in the car the next day, when he went to take a daughter and a nephew to school, Goldfarb said. Defense attorney Terry Johnson said prosecutors have no evidence against Lane and the "case rests on the argument on what he taught."
Johnson told the jury that there was no evidence of physical abuse and while Lane may have hit the child with a stick, it had a protective cover to prevent injury. Johnson also said Lane was distressed by the disappearance of his daughter and has cooperated with police. "They want to paint him as evil," Johnson said.
The defense attorney told the jury that the prosecution is asking them to make a "leap of faith" and convict Lane.
"I do not want to take a leap of faith, and I want you to walk through this case step by step," Johnson said.
Lane was sentenced to life in prison for the death of his daughter.
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