April 12, 2010 in City

Man pleads guilty to ‘08 murder of baby

By The Spokesman-Review
 
The Spokesman-Review photo

Nevaeh Miller
(Full-size photo)(All photos)

A Spokane man who murdered a 7-month-old girl, then assaulted her older brother, faces 12 to 20 years in prison when he’s sentenced next month.

Jereme J. Bassett, 24, has been in Spokane County Jail since March 20, 2008, the day his now ex-girlfriend brought her daughter, Nevaeh Alana Miller, to Sacred Heart Medical Center with head trauma so severe doctors said recovery was hopeless.

Bassett recently pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and third-degree assault of a child and will be sentenced May 3.

“I wish he would have burned in Hell instead, but it sounds like this is the best deal we’re going to get,” said Nevaeh’s grandmother, Deborah Parks. “It’ll never replace what he took from us.”

The assault conviction stems from Bassett choking Nevaeh’s 8-year-old half-brother and slamming him into a bed after the children’s mother, Jennifer Wilcox, rushed Nevaeh to the hospital. The boy had commented to Bassett that Nevaeh “was brain dead,” according to court documents.

Bassett was unemployed and regularly watched Nevaeh and the boy while Wilcox worked.

Wilcox returned the day of Bassett’s arrest to find her baby unresponsive in the room she and Bassett shared at the West Wynn Motel on Sunset Boulevard.

Bassett had called her earlier to say Nevaeh had fallen and hit her head but seemed OK. He told police he tried to revive the child, then smoked marijuana with two friends who were visiting.

Nevaeh was pronounced dead on March 22, 2008. Her organs were donated to three babies. Parks said she stays in contact with the parents of the baby who received Nevaeh’s heart. “That’s made a big difference,” she said.

Bassett has past convictions for possession of a controlled substance, residential burglary, and attempted first-degree theft.

His criminal history calls for a standard sentencing range of 144 to 244 months.

Spokane County Superior Court Judge Annette Plese approved Bassett’s plea deal on Thursday, the same day Spokane police announced the arrest of 18-year-old Tyler L. Jamison on accusations that he assaulted his 2-month-old daughter, SkyeLynn.

Two comments on this story so far. Add yours!
  • meghannc on April 12 at 8:31 p.m.

    When deleting two spam posts, I inadvertently deleted a comment by BigE that discussed Bassett’s sentence. I apologize for the mistake and invite BigE to please re-post the comment.

  • spnkyrdhd on April 13 at 12:29 p.m.

    I am Nevaeh’s mother and it has been the longest two years of my entire life.Nevaeh will always be missed but never forgotten. It really needs to be said that this kind of situation happens way to often to kids that can not defend themselves agains child abusers. Makes me sick to my stomach that people feel they can not control there anger and they cause injury and death to babies. I also feel that when you decide to take this apon yourself to hurt or kill anyone you should have all your rights taken from you. It seems to be the abusers get more rights in the court system then they should. My daughter will never get to experience what life would have been like if she was not murdered that day, but us tax payers get to pay for people in prisons, jails…ect who take another persons life and at times get out of prison. Does not seem right to me. R.I.P NEVAEH ALANA MILLER 08/22/07-03/22/08.

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