Curtis Jack: Father gets 50 years for trying to kill 18-day-old daughter with antifreeze-laced breastmilk
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
GEORGIA, ATLANTA: A father from Georgia who was accused of poisoning his infant was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Thursday, April 11.
As reported by NBC New York, Curtis Jack allegedly poisoned his 18-day-old daughter four years ago by mixing antifreeze into her breastmilk.
Jack was arrested on October 16, 2020, when his daughter fell ill and tested positive for ethylene glycol, a component of antifreeze, as reported by NBC.
What did Curtis Jack do?
The mother, who was also employed with Jack, was hospitalized after giving birth to their daughter on September 24, 2020.
Upon Jack's delivery of the bottles to the child’s grandmother, who was also looking after the infant alongside the woman’s other daughter at the time, the newborn fell “critically ill” within a day and was suspected of being poisoned, as per police reports.
At the time, officers discovered that the 18-day-old daughter had sustained “serious injuries,” as stated by the South Fulton police.
Subsequently, she was transported to a local children’s hospital, where she tested positive for ethylene glycol, a “chemical commonly found in automotive antifreeze,” authorities stated.
Following an initial inquiry, Jack was identified as a suspect, and warrants were issued for criminal attempt to commit murder and cruelty to children in the first degree, police reported.
Jack later confessed to adding antifreeze to the breast milk during questioning by detectives, according to police statements.
It is worth noting that according to poisnhelp.org, even small amounts of automotive antifreeze, when ingested, are highly toxic.
Symptoms may include drowsiness, vomiting, kidney damage, and death. Following Jack's sentencing, the child's mother declined to comment but mentioned that the child is doing well.
Curtis Jack pressured baby's mother to terminate pregnancy
Authorities also discovered that Jack and the baby’s mother had been in an "intimate relationship" since January 2020, and he had previously "pressured" her to terminate her pregnancy, as People reported.
Jack’s trial for the attempted murder of the child, who is now 3 years old, featured testimonies from "the child's mother, grandmother, law enforcement officers, and medical experts, including a demonstration of the simplicity of poisoning breastmilk," police noted.
The jury ultimately convicted Jack on all charges, as announced by South Fulton police on social media on April 11. He received a 50-year prison sentence, of which he will serve 40 years in custody.
"A special acknowledgment to Madam Fani Willis and the Fulton County District Attorney's Office for securing justice for the victim and her mother," South Fulton police expressed in a statement.
