***EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING: Story contains details of graphic violence that may be upsetting to some readers***
STOCKTON SPRINGS (NEWS CENTER Maine) — According to court records, the ten-year-old girl who was allegedly killed by her mother and stepfather in Stockton Springs suffered months of physical abuse.
Julio Carrillo, 51, and Sharon Carrillo, 33, were arrested Monday at State Police offices in Bangor after being interviewed by detectives and charged with the death of Marissa Kennedy.
First responders found Marissa lifeless Sunday at a condominium owned by the mother's parents where the family had been staying.
According to court records, Julio Carrillo told police that he and his wife would punish Marissa by having her kneel on on the tile kitchen floor with her hands in the air while she was whipped repeatedly on the ribs with a leather belt.
Julio Carrillo told police that Marissa was made to kneel on the tile because it was the most painful surface in the house.
The parents would also hit Marissa with open hands and fists to her abdomen and sides while she was kneeling, and dealt additional blows to her face and forehead, according to court documents. Sharon Carrillo told police that the stepfather broke a metal mop on Marissa's ribs during one beating.
Also included by Sharon Carrillo in the list of punishments inflicted on Marissa were long periods of isolation in a closet. Marissa's mother recounted how she would scream nonstop during her imprisonments and beatings.
The beatings reportedly would occur several times a day beginning last October and continuing until Feb. 22 or 23 when Marissa could no longer walk or speak without slurred speech. Believing Marissa was faking her injuries, Sharon Carrillo beat her one more time, according to Julio Carrillo's statement to police.
The parents told police that they discussed a plan to make it look as though Marissa had injured herself. Sharon Carrillo told police that Julio carried her body to the boiler room and created a staged scene.
Julio Carrillo called 911 for an ambulance at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday reporting that Marissa was in their basement playing, and when he went to find her, she was unresponsive. Julio Carrillo said he then carried Marissa upstairs and placed her in a chair. Following instructions from the 911 operation, he moved her to the floor of the bedroom. A blanket covered her body when police arrived.
Police observed extensive injuries to Marissa's body including a swollen left eye, bruising to her head, stomach and legs, and open wounds to her knees. Several additional injuries including a lacerated liver and subdural hematoma were found during an autopsy by the Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Mark Flomenbaum. For a cause of death, he listed Battered Child Syndrome.
The Carrillos were already familiar to police after several previous reports of domestic violence. Neighbors told police fights were a common occurrence at their home, including a particularly loud argument between Sharon and Julio Carrillo on Saturday. It ended around 4 p.m. followed by a quiet day on Sunday.
Sharon and Julio Carrillo were taken to Waldo County Jail in Belfast and will make an initial appearance at Waldo County Superior Court Wednesday at 1 p.m.
State police said two other young children present in the home at 7 Harbor View Dr., ages 1 and 2, were taken into custody by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.