Man sentenced for child’s death

Parker gets 14-year term for killing tot he was babysitting

A Schenectady man was sentenced in Rensselaer County Court Wednesday to 14 years in prison and five years post-release supervision for killing a toddler he was babysitting in 2019, the district attorney’s office said.

Daquan Parker, 21, pleaded guilty to firstdegree manslaughter in October for the death of his then-girlfriend’s 3-yearold son, Mayjor Douglas, on Dec. 7, 2019 at the Corliss Park Apartments in North Troy.

Parker has served a year in the Rensselaer County jail since his arrest. Parker appeared virtually from the jail due to pandemic safety precautions for his sentencing by County Court Judge Jennifer Sober.

Parker admitted when he pleaded guilty that he shook, struck and kicked Mayjor resulting in massive internal injuries and bleeding leading to his death.

“Anytime a crime involves a victim there are added levels of difficulty and emotion, not only for the family of that victim but also for the men and women that investigate and prosecute those crimes. That is compounded when the crime victim is a child and is exponentially increased when the committed crime results in the death of anyone, especially when a child is ripped from their family,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Hauf, who prosecuted the case.

Parker was originally was charged with seconddegree murder and faced a maximum penalty of 25 years to life if he had been convicted. The district attorney’s office reviewed the evidence and opted to proceed with the manslaughter count. That led to a deal resulting in Parker’s guilty plea and sentence.