Father who starved baby daughter and refused to seek treatment because of Christian beliefs jailed in US

George Landell's pastor says he believes illness is 'of the devil' and can be treated through prayer

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A man has been found guilty of murdering his baby daughter in the US after neglecting her and then refusing to seek medical treatment because of his religious beliefs.

George Landell was jailed for 20 years on Monday after being convicted of second-degree murder at Gwinnett County Court.

He previously told the jury he believed prayer rather than medicine would heal his daughter, Nevaeh, as he watched her starve to death.

“All sickness, disease and infirmities are of the devil. And not of God,” his Christian spiritual advisor, Dwayne Murphy, told the court.

Landell and his wife, Lauren Fristed, watered down breast milk during their baby’s short 10-week life and did not take her to hospital until she was already dead, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The parents told medics Nevaeh was not breathing in March 2015 but a nurse described her body as already “stiff”.

Investigators found the baby was not given medical treatment after she was born, or properly clothed or fed, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Watering down the breast milk caused the infant’s electrolyte and sodium levels to drop and made her brain swell, with photos showing Nevaeh emaciated and unresponsive.

Babies should not drink water until they are at least 6 months old and rely on breast or formula milk for vital nutrition.

Records from the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, in Georgia, lists Landell’s charges as murder, child cruelty and aggravated battery.

Fristed previously pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.