Man Convicted in Girl’s Death
A Norwalk Superior Court jury Friday found Ronald Albert Willis guilty of second-degree murder in the September, 1983, beating death of his 1 1/2-year-old daughter.
Willis, 28, first told police that his daughter, Mary Lynn, had been kidnaped from the beach at Long Beach by a woman who volunteered to watch the girl while Willis took another daughter to a restroom. Police, however, became suspicious and, after a night of intense questioning, Willis confessed that he had beaten his daughter several times but did not realize how badly hurt she was until she died.
It was the second trial for Willis, an unemployed security guard. The first proceeding ended in January with the jury deadlocked--nine in favor of a second-degree murder conviction and three holding out for manslaughter.
Willis will be sentenced July 29.
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