Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida Press Release:
(Lake County, FL) Today, both 27-year-old Margaret Elizabeth Lehman and 30-year-old Mark Edward Brittian Jr. were adjudicated guilty in the tragic death of their 11-month-old daughter, Marcelyn Brittian. Judge Cary F. Rada sentenced Lehman to 13 years in prison and Brittian to 13.25 years in prison.
“This is disgusting, the most vulnerable of our society has been victimized by the most evil. At least in prison, they’ll both receive food, unlike their innocent child,” said Bill Gladson, State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit.
Both Lehman and Brittian were charged with Aggravated Manslaughter for the negligent death of their child in September 2021, after Leesburg Police responded to the couple’s home for an unresponsive infant.
When officials arrived at the home, they observed the home in deplorable conditions with a heavy odor of garbage and rotting food throughout the house. Eventually, law enforcement officers located the unresponsive child in a dirty playpen, where the child was seen to be covered in dirt and dried feces.
Life-saving measures were immediately attempted on the child with no success. The infant was later pronounced deceased by hospital professionals. Both Lehman and Brittian were questioned as to what led up to the infant’s death, with both stating the victim and their 3-year-old child were happy and healthy.
During law enforcement’s investigation, officers discovered that Brittian had called two other individuals 15 minutes before calling 9-1-1 that morning. Further examination of the child by medical examiners indicated she had not eaten in approximately two to three days and was extremely malnourished. Both defendants were arrested and charged, and the other child in their care was placed with family members.
This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Gabriel Lozano.
