The child’s mother rejected his courtroom apology and said the sentence was too lenient.
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Kentucky man was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder in the 2023 death of his 9-month-old daughter, whose fatal brain injury became the focus of an emotional Fayette County courtroom hearing.
Syied Malik-Kawon Epps, 31, pleaded guilty in May to murder involving domestic violence in the death of his daughter, Sy’Kia Epps. Prosecutors said the baby suffered severe brain trauma after being dropped and slammed on her head inside a Lexington home in July 2023. A persistent felony offender charge was dismissed under the plea agreement, and a judge imposed the recommended 25-year sentence on July 1.
The sentencing hearing brought sharp words from the baby’s mother, Markettia Epps, who told the court she has carried the loss every day since her daughter died. Epps apologized in court and called his actions a mistake. “I’m truly sorry for my actions, and I pray that one day they can find it in their heart to forgive me,” he said. Markettia Epps rejected the apology from the gallery, saying, “It wasn’t a mistake. You knew what you did to her.”
The case began July 26, 2023, when Sy’Kia was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. She died less than a week later, on July 31. Police first charged Epps with assault, then upgraded the case to murder after the child died. Investigators said three other children were inside the Whitney Avenue home at the time. At a 2023 preliminary hearing, Lexington police Detective Paul Hogan testified that the children described seeing Epps drop the baby on her head.
Hogan testified that one child told investigators, “Daddy smashed her on her head really hard and she was upside down.” Police said Epps initially denied being present when Sy’Kia was hurt. Investigators said he claimed the baby had been left with a babysitter named Eric, but he could not provide a last name, phone number or other details. Hogan said Epps later admitted that account was false after surveillance footage placed him at the home during the time of the assault.
Investigators also said Epps gave false information about being at work. Court testimony showed police reviewed those claims and found he was not working at the places he named. The child’s mother was working a third-shift job at the time and returned home after learning something had happened to her daughter. She then took Sy’Kia to the hospital. Prosecutors said the evidence showed Epps was the person responsible for the injuries that led to the baby’s death.
The courtroom was tense as family members listened to the sentence. Markettia Epps said she spoke for her daughter because the child no longer had a voice. She described wearing a necklace that held Sy’Kia’s ashes and said the 25-year prison term could not match what was taken from her family. Outside the courtroom, she said Epps deserved life in prison. “I don’t have 25 with her,” she said. “I only had nine months with her.”
The plea deal ended the criminal case before a trial that had been expected in June. By pleading guilty, Epps avoided a trial on the murder charge and the additional persistent felony offender count was dropped. The judge credited him with time already served while he was held before sentencing. Deputies escorted him from the courtroom after the sentence was entered, and he remained in custody pending transfer into the state prison system.
The case drew local attention because of the age of the victim and the testimony from children who police said witnessed the assault. It also showed how quickly an abuse case can shift after a child dies from injuries. What began as an assault investigation became a murder case after medical findings and witness statements were reviewed. The sentence now closes the criminal court phase, but the family’s grief remained the central focus of the hearing.
As of July 10, Epps has been sentenced and the dismissed felony offender charge is no longer pending. The next step is his formal placement in the Kentucky prison system, where he will serve the 25-year sentence imposed in Fayette Circuit Court.
Author note: Last updated July 10, 2026.