On Tuesday, October 6, 2020, Bianca Annie Mae Stanch and Ronald Dean Greer were found guilty of first-degree murder for the death of Greer’s 4-year-old daughter, Samiah Christine Cornell Downing.
Additionally, they were found guilty of torturing Samiah and guilty of child abuse, with a special allegation of causing death. Stanch and Greer will be sentenced on November 20th.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said the case started in 2012 when Samiah lived with Greer and Stanch in an apartment in Adelanto. Stanch was Greer’s girlfriend, but not the mother of Samiah.
According to witnesses, Stanch had an extreme dislike for Samiah and treated her poorly.
Witnesses testified that Samiah was subjected to daily beatings at the hands of Bianca Stanch, and Greer did not intervene in any way to stop it.
Witnesses also testified that the couple duct-taped Samiah’s wrists and ankles together on multiple occasions and left her alone overnight in a bedroom so that she could not get out. A deadbolt was placed on the bedroom door, with the locking mechanism on the hallway side of the door, which allowed them to lock her in. On one occasion, Samiah was able to get out to the kitchen where she drank the only liquid she could find, a cleaning solution.
Evidence at trial showed that on the day before her death, Samiah was beaten and forced to stand in the corner for eight hours. The abuse continued the next day when Stanch beat Samiah all over her body with a belt and cords. She then poured a pot of boiling water on Samiah’s back and chest and denied her water during the final days of her life.
On the evening of her death, Samiah began feeling lethargic and sleepy. She was locked inside the bedroom once again and left with Stanch’s cousin, Rayshawn Stanch, while Stanch and Greer went to dinner.When they returned to the apartment, they discovered Samiah had died. Stanch, Greer and Rayshawn then drove
Samiah’s body out to the desert, where they buried her.
An autopsy revealed that her cause of death was dehydration.
Unfortunately, this case encountered several delays in going forward throughout the years. However, the deputy district attorneys assigned to getting justice for Samiah was committed and pushed the case forward.
Finally, the trial was set to start in March of 2020 but was again halted due to the COVID-19 .As soon as the Superior Court indicated criminal trials would resume in a limited capacity, the office pushed for this case to be given priority to avoid another delay.
The trial included six weeks of evidence, and the prosecution called over 20 witnesses in their efforts to get
justice for Samiah.
Friends, family members, and teachers testified about the sweet and happy little girl they knew and loved.
Greer took the stand in his own defense and denied being aware of the abuse his daughter had endured.
Several inconsistencies emerged during cross-examination on the events of 2012 and what Greer knew about how Samiah was being treated
Rayshawn Stanch pled guilty earlier this year to his involvement in this crime.
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