A 3-year-old Michigan girl died when a drunken man allegedly sat on her three years ago. Now, the man in question has accepted a plea deal that will likely see him face prison time.
57-year-old John E. Graves on April 4 appeared before Saginaw County Circuit Judge Andre R. Borrello and pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter, the lone charge he faced. The charge is a 15-year felony.
Borrello indicated he would sentence Graves within his advisory sentencing guidelines, which have been calculated at 19 to 38 months.
By pleading no contest rather than guilty, Graves did not admit to having a committed a crime. Borrello had to rely on other documents to enter a conviction on the record.
The conviction stems from the Sept. 20, 2020, death of Paris N. Sharp. In an October 2021 preliminary examination, forensic pathologist Dr. Randy S. Tashjian testified he performed an autopsy on Paris’ remains and ruled she died of asphyxiation.
In the same hearing, Paris’ grandmother, Stephanie Steward, testified she resided at Northfield Center Apartments in Bridgeport Township in September 2020. On the night of the 19th, she had Graves and others over to her unit. Paris was one of two children present.
The adults drank and played cards while the children played with a dollhouse, Steward said. As the night progressed, Steward had a woman guest go to sleep as she was intoxicated and arguing with Graves, she said.
Steward steadfastly maintained Graves was not intoxicated, however.
A little before 5 a.m. on Sept. 20, Steward went upstairs to lie down and Graves said he would watch over the two children in the first-floor living room. At the time, Paris and the other child were sleeping feet-to-feet on a couch, Steward said.
“He said, ‘You know I’ll watch over the babies, sis. You know I love them,’” Steward said.
Steward went to sleep, with her next memory being her daughter screaming.
“My Paris was on the ottoman,” Steward said. “Someone put her on the ottoman and put a sheet over her face. She was not responsive. She had a red mark on her cheek. … I was screaming, ‘What happened?! What happened?!’”
Steward saw Paris in that state about 7 a.m., she said. Graves was still in the apartment at the time, she said.
A few days later, Steward spoke with Graves at another house and encouraged him to surrender to authorities. He told her, “It was a mistake,” she said.
Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Chris Siegert testified he responded to Steward’s apartment the morning of Sept. 20, 2020. At the time, Paris’ body was lying on the floor, he said.
Siegert noticed a distinctive red mark on Paris’ cheek, about the size of a quarter, he said. The lip of a vodka bottle recovered from between couch cushions lined up with the injury, he added.
Siegert and another detective interviewed Graves at police headquarters on the afternoon of Sept. 20, 2020. Graves was not under arrest at the time.
“He basically said he didn’t have a whole lot of knowledge as to what had happened,” Siegert said.
Siegert interviewed Graves again on Sept. 26, 2020. In this second interview, Graves said he believed he sat on the couch and realized he was sitting on one of the children.
“He said he sat on Paris for approximately 15 minutes and realized what had happened and got up from his seated position,” Siegert said.
Graves gave different accounts of what he did immediately thereafter, the sergeant said. In one version, Graves said he moved Paris’ body from the couch to an ottoman.
“He did make some statements, too, that he knew he was intoxicated and he had drank two pints of vodka and he thought maybe a couple beers also,” Siegert said.
Graves only grew emotional during his second interview with police, Siegert said.
“I think he was sad for what he had done,” Siegert said.
Detectives did not read Graves his Miranda rights during this second interview but told him he was free to go at any time, Siegert said.
Police in Des Moines, Iowa, arrested Graves in June 2021, after which he was extradited to Michigan.
Paris “had a smile that lit up the room,” her obituary states. “She was so sweet and energetic and stood out with her sandy brown hair. That is one of the reasons we called her Pear Bear.”
Paris “loved music and most of all she loved taking selfies with her grandmother’s phone,” the obituary continues. “Paris will truly be missed by our entire family.”
Judge Borrello is to sentence Graves at 1:30 p.m. on June 14.
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