If you are concerned about a child being neglected or abused, call Maine’s 24-hour hotline at 800-452-1999 or 711 to speak with a child protective specialist. Calls may be made anonymously. For more information, visit https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/cw/reporting_abuse.shtml.
A Buckfield man has been sentenced for killing his 2-month-old daughter.
Trevor Averill was found guilty of manslaughter in January for killing his daughter, Harper Averill, in July 2020. He was found not guilty of the murder charge.
Authorities were called to a home on North Parish Road in Turner on July 22, 2020, for a report of a child choking.
According to prosecutors, Averill shook Harper, causing a fractured skull, bleeding in the brain and a spinal injury.
Prosecutors said the 2-month-old was acting normal on July 21, 2020. But when she woke up around midnight, Averill brought her down and changed her. That’s when, Averill said, she started choking and became unresponsive.
The state said Averill was the only one with the baby at the time and what happened to her before her death was “very violent.”
Before she died, a child abuse expert found Harper had a skull fracture, bleeding in her brain and a spinal injury, which all contributed to her death.
The expert claims there were also signs of previous abuse, including healing rib fractures, estimated to have happened just 10 days prior.
On Friday, Averill was sentenced to 23 years with all 18 years suspended, which means he will spend 18 years in prison. Once he is released, he will be on probation for six years.
