GOSHEN – An Orange County Court jury Friday found Gionni Sellers, 26, of Middletown guilty of murder and manslaughter in the death of his former girlfriend’s three-year-old son.
When sentenced in March, Sellers faces 25 years to life in prison for killing Xavier Johnson in 2022.
As alleged at trial, from May to June 2022, Sellers was responsible for watching the child.
In June, police found Xavier at a residence unresponsive and not breathing. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
Investigation found that in the days leading up to the child’s death, Sellers inflicted blunt force trauma to his head and torso causing severe trauma to his brain, which caused his death.
A review of Sellers’ phone revealed internet searches including “why do younger men want to hurt baby,’ and “baby breathing heavy after being shook.”
It took the jury less than an hour to find Sellers guilty.
The investigation into the cases was conducted by Wallkill Town Police, the State Police, the Hudson Valley crime Analysis Center and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
DA David Hoovler said Sellers’ “depraved and wicked actions caused the senseless death of a vulnerable child.”
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