HORRENDOUS CCTV footage showed an eight month-old baby girl thrashing her legs as she was smothered with a blanket by a daycare worker.
Reese Bowman could be seen writhing as she was murdered by 24-year-old Leah Walden.
Walden admitted killing the infant’s murder at a court hearing in Baltimore on Tuesday.
Baby Reese died at Rocket Tiers Learning Centre in Baltimore in May 2017, with Walden sentenced to 70 years jail for the slaying.
She will be eligible for parole in 2053, and sobbed during her sentencing hearing, while telling the court how she had snapped after not being given the training or assistance needed for her job.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Walden said: ‘”There was not a time in my heart that I wanted this to happen.”
She originally tried to claim she had fed Reese and wrapped her in a blanket before putting her down for a nap, only to return to find her unresponsive.
Assistant State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said Walden had told a co-worker, 'Girl, I'm frustrated. I'm sick of this little b****. I hate this little b****. She makes me want to punch her in the face."
The court heard that Walden returned from lunch and became frustrated that baby Reese would not sleep.
She then slapped her and pinned her down before piling blankets over her face and suffocating her.
But when cops examined surveillance footage, they saw Walden covering Reese with “excessive blankets,” before subjecting the little girl to further abuse.
The city’s Criminal Investigations Chief Stanley Bradford told the Sun how Walden was seen “violently snatching the child out of the crib with one arm, swinging at the baby as if she was slapping her, and placing pillows over the baby’s face.”
He added: “Watching that video is disturbing. Reese Bowman, in my opinion, was tortured.”
Rocket Tiers Learning Centre was shut down after Reese’s tragic death.
The youngster’s family released a statement shortly afterwards, saying her death had caused "tremendous pain," and added: "Our hearts are broken. ‘No family should ever have to experience the loss of a child under any circumstances."
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Reece's parents Amy and Justin Bowman moved out of their home and left their jobs after their daughter's murder - unable to stay in the city and be reminded of the horror crime.
Judge Handy broke down as she watched the CCTV video of the baby's murder shortly after the young daycare worker entered the court.
Composing herself, she said: “I'm just reflecting on everything I heard. There are tears everywhere in this courtroom.”
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