A Lincoln City man has been sentenced to life in prison for the death of his 15-month-old daughter after a jury found him guilty of multiple charges, including second-degree murder. Judge Sheryl Bachart sentenced 27-year-old Emerson Cromwell on October 28 to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Cromwell was convicted on September 26, 2025, by a Lincoln County jury after a nearly month-long trial.
His convictions include Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree, and Manslaughter in the First Degree. According to the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office, law enforcement and emergency responders were called to Cromwell’s home in Lincoln City on August 9, 2022, after he dialed 911 to report that his daughter was unconscious and unresponsive.
The toddler was taken to Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, where doctors found evidence of a brain bleed. She was later airlifted to OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland but died the following morning. The Oregon State Police Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head, resulting in an acute subdural hemorrhage.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence showing Cromwell was the only adult present with the child before she lost consciousness. Cromwell told investigators that the baby “collapsed in his arms,” claiming he shook her once in an attempt to revive her before calling 911, as per KPTV.
Messages recovered from Cromwell’s phone revealed he had grown frustrated while feeding the child earlier that day and had received disappointing news about a business venture. Soon after, he texted the child’s mother, saying something was wrong with their daughter, before contacting emergency services.
Prosecutors also presented evidence of ongoing abuse. Witnesses testified that Cromwell began spanking the child when she was just five months old and frequently beat her, leaving bruises that lasted for days. Medical experts called by the state concluded that the injuries leading to her death could only be explained by violent child abuse.
During sentencing, Judge Bachart condemned Cromwell’s actions, describing the incident as “a violent, horrible death that she did not have to suffer, and it was at the hands of her father.” She added that testimony indicated the child was often left home alone and that Cromwell was “ill-equipped to be a father.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Tobias Tingleaf and Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Thornicroft. The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Lincoln City Police Department, Oregon State Police, and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.