WALL TOWNSHIP, NJ – A Monmouth County man is heading to prison for 30 years after being sentenced for his conviction of killing his young daughter by smothering her. According to court documents, the baby was crying and he smothered her to try to make her stop.
Austin Meli, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the homicide of his six-week-old daughter, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Monday.
A court judge of Monmouth County Superior Court, Joseph W. Oxley, sentenced Austin Meli, 26, on Friday.
In order for Meli to be eligible for parole, he must serve 85% of his sentence as per the No Early Release Act (NERA). This sentence is concurrent with one that Meli is currently serving.
A plea of guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter was entered on February 10, by Meli.
An unresponsive six-week-old infant was found at a residence within the jurisdiction of Wall Township Police Department on March 9, 2019. After a police investigation, it was determined that the infant was in the immediate care of Meli, her father, when she became unresponsive.
“The defendant’s depraved actions caused this horrific tragedy and left other family members to mourn an immeasurable loss,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago stated. “While it is impossible to make this family whole, this plea deal and the subsequent sentence provides justice and closure for the victim’s family for such an unspeakable and heinous act.”
A subsequent investigation revealed that Meli had smothered the child to prevent her from crying, resulting in the baby’s death by asphyxiation at Ocean Medical Center in Brick. Both the Wall Township Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office led the investigation.
Currently, Meli is serving a 10-year prison sentence for second-degree Aggravated Assault, two counts of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and tampering with physical evidence for crimes committed against another of his children. Under the No Early Release Act, Meli is also subject to an 85% period of parole ineligibility for those charges.