Defendant: Derran Morris 06/10/94

July 16, 2019 -- Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced that Derran Morris of Mount Vernon was sentenced to 25 years to life in the death of a child in his care and a consecutive 23 years for the brutal beating of her twin sister. Westchester County Court Judge Anne Minihan presided over the trial and the sentencing.

Specifically, he was sentenced today to the following in the death of Addison Turner:

• Murder in the Second Degree, a class A-1 violent felony – 25 to Life
• Manslaughter in the First Degree, a class B felony – 25 + five Years Post Release Supervision (PRS)

In the beating of the second child, he was convicted of:

• Assault in the First Degree, a class B felony – 23 Years + five Years PRS
• Assault in the Second Degree,  a class D felony – 7 Years + three PRS

Background
On July 5, 2017, the mother of the victims, Monique Turner and the defendant, Derran Morris, walked into Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital emergency room at 5:09 p.m. carrying Addison Turner and her twin sister in their arms. They told reception that Addison was not breathing.

Upon examination, it was determined that Addison Turner had no pulse and was cold to the touch. Doctors and nurses attempted to revive the baby for approximately 20 minutes. She was declared dead at 5:35 p.m. Mount Vernon Police arrived at the hospital after they were informed of a suspicious death by emergency room staff.

The other twin, who was injured but breathing, was rushed by ambulance to Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Upon examination there, doctors determined the baby girl had suffered life-threatening abdominal trauma, including lacerations of the liver. Mount Vernon Detectives were notified of their findings.

On autopsy, it was found that Addison Turner suffered multiple bruises, trauma and an extremely deep laceration to her liver resulting in immediate, extensive blood loss. The report by the Medical Examiner’s Office stated Addison Turner’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to her body and the manner of death was homicide. Both the (now retired) Westchester County Chief Medical Examiner Kunjlata Ashar and three other physicians testified at trial.

Addison’s sister, who was severely injured with lacerations to the liver, survived and required weeks of hospitalization.

The investigation found Morris had been alone with the children for several hours when the beating occurred. Turner, Morris and the children lived together at the time.

Mount Vernon Police arrested Derran Morris July 7, 2017, after a fast-paced and intensive investigation.

This case was prosecuted by First Deputy District Attorney Patricia Murphy, Chief of Criminal Operations, and Assistant District Attorney Mary Clark-DiRusso, Deputy Chief of the Special Prosecutions Division Domestic Violence Bureau.

 In compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3.6, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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