What did Shanquilla Garvey do? Illinois mother sentenced to 35 years in prison over 8-month-old daughter's motel room brutal murder

Trigger warning: The article contains references to a toddler's death. Discretion is advised.

30-year-old Shanquilla Garvey has been sentenced to 35 years behind bars for killing her 8-month-old toddler Cherish in a motel room back in 2017. Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Daniel Rippy declared the sentence on Friday, February 23, 2024. Garvey had pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection to Cherish's death.

The incident occurred at the Bel-Air Motel, where Shanquilla lived with her children. While prosecutors praised the sentence, they also mentioned that no punishment can compensate for what Garvey did to Cherish.

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Illinois mother Shanquilla Garvey faces sentencing after pleading guilty to murdering her 8-month-old daughter about seven years back

On Friday, Shanquilla Garvey received her sentencing after she pleaded guilty to murdering her daughter in 2017. Upon being arrested, she was charged with first-degree murder, and she pleaded guilty to the same charge later.

Shanquilla Garvey was frustrated with the crying baby (Image via aaronmccain2/X)

In December 2017, a horrific incident took place at the Bel-Air Motel. Now, 30-year-old Garvey, who was staying there with her children, ended up murdering her toddler daughter. While the toddler was crying, she wanted her to stop. She tossed the baby into a dresser before picking her up and shaking her. She then threw the child on the floor.

The Charlotte Observer reported that when the child wasn't responding, Shanquilla Garvey called 911. Upon being rushed to the hospital, Cherish was diagnosed with liver laceration, bleeding from the brain, and two skull fractures as well. In 2018, Cherish’s father, Justin Freeman, told WLS-TV,

"I love my daughter and I miss her dearly. This shouldn’t have happened to her."

According to The Sacramento Bee, law enforcement officials confirmed that the victim succumbed to the injuries on Christmas Eve. She reportedly died of blunt force trauma.

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The victim's state had to be airlifted to the hospital

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow described the victim's death as being "incomprehensible." He thanked the authorities involved in the investigation and who made the verdict possible. Glasgow further added, as reported by The Sacramento Bee,

"Cherish was taken from this earth simply because Shanquilla Garvey wanted her to stop crying. This precious baby girl’s last experience was one of trauma and suffering, something no prison sentence can ever undo."

Law&Crime said that the victim was first taken to Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital in Joliet. However, due to her severe condition, she had to be airlifted to Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois. According to prosecutors, Garvey's frustration with the crying baby made her lash out so intensely. They said,

"Garvey wanted Cherish to stop crying and threw her into a dresser, picked her up, shook her, and threw her onto the ground of the motel room. Cherish then became unresponsive, and Garvey called 911."

Garvey pled guilty to first-degree murder (Image via MarcAJC/X)

The murder case was scheduled for a jury trial several times over the past two years. However, it got delayed for some reason or the other.