Baby-Sitter Gets 15 Years to Life in Death of Child

A Van Nuys baby-sitter was sentenced Thursday to 15 years to life in prison for shaking an 18-month-old girl under her care so violently that she died.

Nova Marcia Thompson, 35, sat quietly as she was sentenced by Judge Judith Meisels Ashmann for the June 9, 1989, death of Jasmine Lynn Sanders, who lapsed into a coma after being shaken and scalded with water.

Thompson, 35, pleaded guilty in October to one count of second-degree murder, averting a trial in which her own daughter would have been the main witness against her.

Thompson’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Andrea Gilliam, said Thompson pleaded guilty to the charge because she didn’t want her 5-year-old daughter to have to testify against her again.

In exchange for Thompson’s plea, prosecutors dropped one count each of felony child abuse and corporal infliction of injury stemming from a severe burn on Jasmine’s foot and bruises on her face, head and torso.

If Thompson had been convicted on those counts and of first-degree murder, she would have faced a prison sentence of 25 years to life, Deputy Dist. Atty. Carol Fisch said.

Jasmine’s father, William Manciano, a 26-year-old rock musician, dropped Jasmine off June 7 for an overnight stay at the residence of Thompson, who had been baby-sitting the child almost daily for a year, Fisch said.

Thompson’s daughter, Carlaina Johnson, 5, testified at her mother’s preliminary hearing in August, 1989, that Thompson became angry at dinner because Jasmine “wouldn’t chew her lambie.” Thompson began shaking Jasmine, Carlaina said, and then put her in a sink filled with steaming water.

After several minutes, Thompson took the crying baby out of the scalding water and hurled her into the bathtub so that she struck her head, Carlaina said.

The next morning, Thompson called Manciano to say his daughter had stopped breathing. The child never regained consciousness after being rushed to Valley Presbyterian Hospital June 8. She died the next day after life-support systems were disconnected, prosecutors said.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office ruled that shaking caused Jasmine’s death.

Thompson has three daughters, including one born while in custody.