Crime & Courts

Wasilla man found guilty of 2nd-degree murder in toddler daughter's 2008 death

PALMER -- Clayton Allison, the 31-year-old Wasilla man accused of killing his toddler-age daughter in 2008, was convicted of second-degree murder by a Palmer jury on Friday afternoon.

Allison told authorities the girl fell down stairs, but prosecutors argued her injuries could only be explained by her father hitting and shaking her.

The surprisingly fast verdict after a five-week, emotionally grueling trial left Allison's family and friends stunned.

His wife, Christiane "CJ" Allison -- mother of 15-month-old Jocelynn -- supported her husband throughout the trial.

Weeping after the verdict, she stood in a hallway surrounded by friends and family.

"This entire trial and everything that's been in the media has been the biggest injustice and disrespect to the memory of my daughter that I could possibly imagine," CJ Allison said after tearful hugs with two public defenders. "My husband is innocent."

The jury also convicted Allison on lesser charges of criminally negligent homicide and manslaughter.

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Both sides said Friday they expect the verdict will be appealed.

Public defender Hannah Thorssin-Bahri said it was against agency policy to provide comment.

Jurors started deliberating Thursday after sitting through five weeks of medically complicated testimony, heart-wrenching witness accounts and evidence that included photos of a smiling little girl going camping in June but by September appearing limp and small in autopsy pictures.

Allison told authorities his daughter fell down the stairs the afternoon of Sept. 24, 2008, while he was clearing a clogged toilet. Jocelynn was slow to walk and not putting on weight but doctors hadn't pinpointed a cause.

Early in 2009, Allison told investigators he sometimes slapped his daughter repeatedly to get her to eat, at times so hard her head smacked her high chair, though he still maintained that she fell down the stairs the day she died.

The jury never heard that.

Superior Court Judge Vanessa White in 2012 threw out the admission, ruling it wasn't voluntary because investigators pressed Allison even after he asked about an attorney.

During the trial, prosecutors intentionally stayed away not only from the admission but also anything that hinted at it, Assistant District Attorney Mike Perry said after the verdict.

Medical tests and the autopsy revealed a large subdural hematoma -- a brain bleed that caused fatal swelling -- as well as dislocated neck vertebra and bruising, according to evidence prosecutors presented during the trial. Numerous physicians testified those injuries were consistent with child abuse, a claim disputed by defense experts.

"The reality was that the physical evidence was still there," Perry said Friday afternoon during an interview at the Palmer District Attorney's office with prosecutor Krista Anderson. "Physical evidence and the expertise of a lot of medical personnel that these types of injuries aren't just from a fall."

The prosecutors said jurors asked for replays of four pieces of evidence: the recording of the 911 call Allison made; the scans of Jocelynn's head from January 2008 and the day she died in September; and the testimony of two prosecution witnesses -- a radiologist called to interpret the scans and the state medical examiner.

CJ Allison said the judge ruled that her husband's defense team couldn't talk about a genetic disease she said she suffers from: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which can cause fragile skin and unstable joints. She said Jocelynn may have suffered from the disease and, if so, it may have made her fall more deadly.

She also said her husband's admission was coerced and none of it was true. "This was a manhunt and it has been from day one and unfortunately there are hundreds of parents in America going through the same thing."

It's unclear how much prison time Allison faces if his conviction stands.

Second-degree murder carries a sentencing range of 10 to 99 years, though "mitigating circumstances" such as Allison's clean criminal record could reduce that to five to 99, Perry said. It's possible defense attorneys could reduce the sentence even more before a three-judge panel.

Allison was being held at Mat-Su Pretrial Facility as of Friday afternoon.

Zaz Hollander

Zaz Hollander is a veteran journalist based in the Mat-Su and is currently an ADN local news editor and reporter. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. Contact her at zhollander@adn.com.

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