Lily Lynette Furneaux

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lily’s parents Lauren and Jeff had been having trouble since October of 2008. Lauren had filed for sole custody of Lily since she was breast feeding and though Jeff coming to the home for visitation would trouble the bond that should form between Lily and herself. Judge Michael Higgens ended up giving joint custody of Lily,a breast feeding, five month old baby. Jeff had custody on Monday nights from 6:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday night. Jeff was also allowed one weekend every month. Jeff lived in a trailer home with his wife Renee King.

 

On November 20, 2010 Lily was left in the care of her stepmother Renee King. A few hours later Lily was dead, naked and blue, in the living room of her father’s trailer. King told police she accidentally dropped Lily in two falls in her bathroom due to a bad back. She complained of falling down in the weeks prior to the incident and earlier that year was diagnosed with a bulging disc. Lily suffered about five major blows to her head and another 15 or more other bruises to the head area; she also suffered a vaginal tear caused by a penetrating object. Renee could not explain the vaginal injury. Renee was affected by prescription drugs and became enraged with Lily because she threw a temper tantrum and soiled her pants. Renee than slammed Lily’s head against the floor. 

 

Lily's autopsy showed the 20 injuries to the child's head were consistent with having it slammed into the floor over and over again, the same trauma someone would experience in a car crash. The injuries to her genitals, were comparable to what a woman would experience giving birth.  King, was convicted of first degree murder and sexual assault and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

 

Lily’s mother said that she believes Renee King killed Lily in November 2010 because she was jealous of the relationship between Furneaux and Lily and that she was sick of taking care of a child that wasn’t hers.