Scott v. State

HINES, Justice.

Xzavier Scott appeals his convictions for felony murder while in the commission of cruelty to a child and giving false information to a law enforcement officer, in connection with the death of his daughter, Shaniya West. For the reasons that follow, we affirm in part and reverse in part.* 1

Construed to support the verdicts, the evidence showed that Shaniya West was the 13-month-old daughter of Scott and Tandi West. The three shared an apartment with Wandisia Buffington, Buffington’s three-year-old son, and Buffington’s boyfriend, James Nelems. On the day of Shaniya’s death,…