Custodial dad who drowned toddlers sentenced to life in prison (Wayne County, Michigan)

True to form, the final articles on killer daddy STEVEN NICHOLSON fail to mention that he was a custodial father. And that he obtained (and retained) custody of these two children despite a history of domestic violence, child abuse, "petty" crime, and substance abuse. Obviously, we're never going to hear a word about the judge who gave these poor innocent babies to this piece of crap, either. So the judge is obviously going scott-free over this. No accountability whatsoever.

See our past postings on this case for additional information.

http://www.freep.com/article/20110513/NEWS05/110513008/Father-who-drowned-toddlers-sentenced-life-prison?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

Father who drowned toddlers sentenced to life in prison
10:42 AM, May. 13, 2011

BY MELANIE D. SCOTT
DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Steven Nicholson, the 27-year-old Allen Park father who drowned his two toddlers in October, was sentenced to life in prison without parole today by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Vera Massey Jones.

Nicholson was convicted of first-degree murder, felony murder and first-degree child abuse in the death of his 15-month-old daughter, Ella Stafford. He was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of his 13-month-old son, Johnathan Sanderlin.

The first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life in prison sentence. Nicholson also was sentenced to 1 to 15 years in prison for first-degree child abuse and 25 years in prison for second-degree murder in the death Johnathan.

“Believing in God and despite the evidence heard and unheard gives me the comfort to know I didn’t kill my babies,” Nicholson said just before being sentenced. “My family and friends are the best and all are blessings from God.

“I don’t want pity, only understand of the real truth,” he said.

Jones decided the verdict and handed down the sentence after Nicholson's attorney, William Winters III, asked for a bench trial instead of a jury trial.

Two Allen Park police officers testified during the trial that they found Nicholson sitting on his bedroom floor with the toddlers lying side-by-side on their backs when they entered Nicholson's apartment in the early morning hours of Oct. 19, just minutes after Nicholson called 911. Testimony revealed that the children were likely drowned in the bathtub.

Neither Tayler Stafford nor Sarah McGee, mothers of the children, attended today's sentencing.