DA seeks death penalty in child’s death

Note: This story was last updated at 12:45 p.m.

Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark announced today he plans to seek the death penalty against an Oak Ridge woman charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 18-month-old granddaughter.

Valerie Stenson was indicted earlier this year in the April 17, 2011, death of Manhattan Inman. The child was found dead in a home on Teller Village Lane, and an Anderson County grand jury indicted Stenson for first-degree murder and four counts of aggravated child abuse and neglect earlier this year.

Clark announced his intention to seek the death penalty against Stenson in a notice filed in Anderson County Criminal Court on Wednesday.

“The District Attorney General is solely responsible for determining which first-degree murder cases are appropriate to seek the death penalty and which are not,” Clark said in a statement. “Once such a decision has been made, it represents an enormous commitment of state resources and a recognition that the case will be reviewed and scrutinized exhaustively. I reached this decision considering all the factors and after careful review and consideration.”

Media reports from earlier this year said Stenson, 47, was indicted and arrested at her Teller Village apartment in March.

Inman’s death had been investigated by the Oak Ridge Police Department.

In a statement Wednesday, Clark said the grand jury indictments alleged aggravated child abuse and neglect that resulted in serious bodily injury; aggravated child abuse and neglect through use of a deadly weapon; aggravated child abuse and neglect through conduct that was especially heinous, atrocious, cruel, or involved infliction of torture; and aggravated child abuse and neglect during the year prior to the murder.

In the death penalty notice, Clark said aggravating circumstances in the case include:

• The murder was committed against someone younger than 12 by someone older than 18.
• It was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel “in that it involved torture or serious physical abuse beyond that necessary to produce death.”

More information will be added as it becomes available.