An Ohio resident, Nicholas Stemen, is facing at least 19 years behind bars after admitting guilt in a tragic incident where he drove under the influence, leading to a vehicle fire that claimed the life of his 2-year-old daughter, Lillyanna.
Stemen received a sentence ranging from 22 to 27 and a half years, with a mandatory 19-year term before parole eligibility, following his guilty pleas to involuntary manslaughter, aggravated arson, and child endangerment, as noted in official records. Upon release, he will also be subject to two to five years of supervised probation.
According to arrest documents, a 911 call on September 25, 2024, reported an erratic driver missing a tire and driving on the rim. The vehicle had veered off the road and ignited. Responding deputies and fire crews discovered a 2013 GMC Terrain engulfed in flames, with Stemen standing nearby.
Upon approach, a deputy detected the odor of alcohol and observed Stemen’s instability, noting he was “falling to the ground.” When asked by fire personnel if anyone was in the car, Stemen denied it, claiming his daughter was with her grandfather.
However, the deputy looked inside the vehicle and tragically discovered “a small body, in a forward-facing car seat.”
“It was apparent that it was a human due to visible skin and blood on the thighs,” the report detailed.
Stemen later admitted drinking about 10 beers, saying that he “blacked out” and couldn’t remember what happened.
At the sentencing hearing on Monday, a the court heard a letter written by Lillyanna’s mother, Law&Crime reported.
“My baby girl is gone. And for what? For her father enjoying a night of drinking?” the letter said. “He killed her. He took her from everyone who loved her so much. He should spend his life behind bars.”
Stemen spoke at the hearing and apologized, reiterating that he has “no recollection of what happened.
Judge Jeffrey L. Reed told him he was being sentenced to a “lifetime of thinking what your daughter could have been doing.”
“I feel bad for you,” he said. “I feel bad for everybody.”
