A tragic case has come to a close with the recent conviction of Melissa Wilband, 28, for the manslaughter of her own four-month-old baby girl, Lexi Wilband. The incident took place at their home in Newent, Gloucestershire in April 2020. With Wilband’s sentencing scheduled for May 22, an anxious period now lies ahead.
According to evidence presented at Bristol Crown Court, test results indicated that Lexi died from a brain hemorrhage, likely due to violent shaking, both at the time of her collapse and on a previous occasion. Despite the efforts of medical professionals at Bristol Children’s Hospital, Lexi passed away on April 18, six days after her collapse.
During the trial, it was revealed that Wilband’s former partner, Jack Wheeler, 31, was charged with causing or allowing Lexi’s death. However, the jury unanimously found Wheeler not guilty of the charge against him.
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The jury was also informed that Wilband and Wheeler were in a relationship for about three years, during which time Lexi was conceived with another man in early 2019. Wilband led Wheeler to believe he was Lexi’s biological father, going as far as presenting him with a forged DNA certificate that claimed he was the father. Despite learning the truth after Lexi’s birth, Wheeler continued to raise her as his own child.
On the day of the incident, Wilband made a distress call reporting Lexi had stopped breathing in her bouncer chair. Despite efforts to save Lexi, including intubation and transfer to Bristol Children’s Hospital, she did not survive. Prosecutors alleged that Wilband was aware of the severity of Lexi’s condition and yet chose not to stay by her side through the night.
In her defense, Wilband denied shaking Lexi, citing a physical limitation in her wrist. Wheeler, on the other hand, denied any involvement in the incident.
Now, as the trial phase concludes, Wilband awaits sentencing on May 22 at Bristol Crown Court.