Mom, Boyfriend Sentenced in Scalding Death of 1-Year-Old Boy
March 5, 2020
- The Case of Darryn Mann, 1
- Suspects Brandon Mannie, Megan Schweinsberg
Carrollton Township, MI – Brandon Mannie and Megan Schweinsberg faced criminal charges following the July 2019 death of their 1-year-old son, Darryn Mann, whose death investigators determined was caused by multiple forms of abuse, including scalding burns, blunt force trauma, and asphyxia.
On the evening of July 10, 2019, Carrollton Township police responded to a residence after receiving a report of a child who was not breathing. When officers arrived, they did not find anyone outside the home. Carrollton Township Police Sgt. Christopher Kellett was approached by an older neighbor who directed him to another residence, where he found Megan Schweinsberg, 28, holding her son.
“She was very hysterical,” Kellett testified. “She was crying and yelling. She was yelling, very loudly. I wasn’t able to calm her down. She was screaming about her child.”
Kellett found Darryn Mann unresponsive, not breathing, and without a pulse. He attempted CPR on the child, but Darryn did not show signs of life.
During the initial response, Schweinsberg told officers that her live-in boyfriend, Brandon Mannie, 25, was still inside the home with her two other children and that he had a knife.
Officers entered the residence through an unlocked front door and encountered Mannie, who had a knife in his pants pocket, according to testimony. Police located two additional children inside the home, both of whom had visible injuries. The children were removed from the residence and taken to receive medical treatment.
Mannie was arrested at the scene. According to police testimony, he told investigators he did not know what had happened to the children that night.
Paramedics who responded to the home testified that they found Darryn lying on the floor and attempted to provide medical assistance, but they were unable to detect any signs of life. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators later determined that Darryn had suffered extensive injuries before his death. Forensic pathologist Dr. Kanu Virani testified that he performed an autopsy two days after Darryn’s death and found bruising to the child’s face, head, and neck, along with scalding burns on his left lower leg and left buttock and additional burn injuries on his back and genital area.
Virani testified that Darryn also suffered brain hemorrhaging, dehydration, and asphyxia.
“The scalding burns were the main cause of death,” Virani testified. “Asphyxia and blunt force head trauma contributed.”
He ruled Darryn’s death a homicide.
During the investigation, police questioned Schweinsberg about the events leading up to her son’s death. She initially told investigators that she had been away from the home for part of the day and noticed Darryn’s injuries when she returned around 7 p.m.
She told police that she immediately carried Darryn across the street to a neighbor’s home after finding him unresponsive. However, investigators said her account contained inconsistencies, including questions surrounding the timeline of events and the amount of time that passed before emergency services were contacted.
Prosecutors alleged that Schweinsberg was aware of ongoing abuse in the home and failed to protect her son.
“She admitted to not only having knowledge, but could cite various specific abusive acts occurring in the household that she had knowledge of,” Larry Biniecki of the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office testified.
Investigators also recovered text messages between Schweinsberg and Mannie that prosecutors said showed she was aware of abuse occurring before Darryn’s death.
“I’m supposed to protect them and yet I don’t. I’m scared that you’re going to end up snapping and end up behind bars because something bad happened,” one message from Schweinsberg stated.
Another message read, “I’m scared you are going to end up snapping and end up behind bars because something happened. I’ll never call the cops on you.”
Police testified that Schweinsberg admitted she knew Darryn was dead but waited before seeking help. She initially claimed Mannie prevented her from calling for assistance for approximately 45 minutes, saying she was eventually able to leave after he fell asleep following heroin use.
Investigators testified that both Mannie and Schweinsberg had been using heroin before calling 911 and that the delay was longer than the time frame initially provided by Schweinsberg.
Mannie was arrested at the scene and initially charged with murder and first-degree child abuse. Because the investigation was ongoing, Schweinsberg was initially allowed to stay with relatives. After investigators determined she was aware of the abuse occurring in the home, prosecutors filed charges against her as well.
Mannie remained in custody at the Saginaw County Jail following his arraignment after a judge denied bond, citing his criminal history. Authorities said Mannie had previously attended a prison boot camp program for attempted unarmed robbery, was placed on parole, absconded, was arrested again in 2017, and was later incarcerated before being released in February 2019.
In July 2020, Schweinsberg pleaded guilty to second-degree child abuse in the presence of another child. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dismissed charges of felony murder and first-degree child abuse. She was sentenced in September 2020 to jail credit and probation for her role in her son’s death.
Brandon A. Mannie was sentenced in August 2020 by a Saginaw County judge to 46 to 75 years in prison for his role in Darryn Mann’s death.
