MOUNT CLEMENS – Through tears, the parents of Damian Sutton on Thursday recalled the powerful impact their 2-year-old son had on their lives during his short time on earth.
"Before Damian was born, there was nothing good in my life. I was making wrong decisions constantly. I was in and out of trouble. I had nothing going for me," said Sutton's father, Timothy. "Damian was born on June 4, 2011. I was 22 years old at the time. I cannot explain how nervous I was. The only thing on my mind was hoping and praying that I had everything ready for when he got here."
Ronald Dimambro was sentenced to life in prison without parole on murder and abuse charges for beating the boy on Aug. 21, 2013 in a Washington Township home. Damian died six days later.
The prosecution said Dimambro, the then-boyfriend of Damian's mother, changed his story a number of times while being questioned by police, including how long he shook the boy to get him to stop crying.
While addressing the court at Dimambro's sentencing, Damian's mother, Nicole, called him a "demon."
"I hope what he did to Damian haunts him until eternity," she said. "When I lost my Damian, I died inside."
The mother held up a blanket she said she had wrapped her son in during his last breaths.
"My son was all I had in this world ... Damian was fueled by love." she said. "My son will find a way back to me, because I am his mommy."
-- Damian Sutton