A soldier mother charged with the murder of her two-year-old daughter commissioned to get digitally altered photos with herself and her dead little girl.
They were ordered a month after Macy Grace died, according to People. The woman had the photo taken at her daughter’s gravesite, with her altered to be standing behind her in an angelic, transparent state.
The mother, Jeanie Ditty, 23, and her boyfriend, Zachary Keefer, were arrested last week and charged with first-degree murder and negligent child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury.
Little Macy was taken to a medical centre on December 2 last year where she was discovered to have bruises covering her whole body, according to police.
After being taken to hospital two days later, she died.
Fayetteville Police Department officer Antoine Kincade told People: “It was life threatening injuries consistent with child abuse.”
An investigation and autopsy revealed she died of the injuries by her mother and Zachary.
Jeanie first reached out to photographer Sunny Jo from Pennsylvania, US, three days after the toddler died. A month later, she requested the photos to be taken.
Sunny told People he had no idea about the horrific crime, and instead felt sympathetic about the story Jeanie told him.
“I just felt for her. This must be the most heartbreaking thing in the world,” he said.
“So when she asked me to do the photos I said absolutely. I wanted to get the pictures done for what I thought at the time was a grieving mother.”
Sunny offered to do the shoot for free instead of his $500 fee, as he felt so compelled to help her.
He was horrified when he learned the truth.
“I couldn’t sleep since this happened. The only thing that helps me out is me thinking I didn’t do it for Jeanie, I did it for the spirit of Macy,” he said.
“The only thing I was trying to do was help a grieving mother. I just wanted to make someone happy who was going through a tough time.”
Photo via Sunny Jo.
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