Sipsas v. State

OPINION

By the Court,

Foley, D. L:

William Sipsas was convicted of first degree murder and child abuse for the death of his live-in girl friend’s five-year old daughter, Jennelle Kay Rahja. Jennelle bled to death as a result of a blunt force injury to her abdomen, which ruptured her mesen-tery.

Sipsas testified that on the day of her" death, Jennelle had choked on a sandwich and he stopped the choking by use of the Heimlich Maneuver. He stated he pumped her stomach and jammed his finger into her mouth until she coughed up the sandwich and began breathing again. He also testified that at about…