Shelby's dad pleads guilty

FARMINGTON — Ryan William Andrews was sobbing as prosecutors read aloud his confession in the child abuse death of his 10-year-old daughter.

"Although I did not intend to cause Shelby's death and sincerely regret the actions that I engaged in toward Shelby, I acknowledge and recognize that the abusive conduct that Angela and I engaged in caused Shelby's death," Andrews said in a statement read by deputy Davis County attorney Mike DiReda.

Andrews pleaded guilty to a first-degree murder charge here in 2nd District Court on Monday. In exchange, a charge of aggravated sexual abuse of a child was dropped. The 38-year-old Syracuse man's guilty plea also included the graphic confession that was read in court.

Hearing the details of the child abuse that led to Shelby Andrews' death prompted many family members who were sitting in the audience to begin crying. Shackled at the waist, Andrews tried to wipe his eyes with a tissue.

Andrews said he came home from work on Aug. 2 and spoke to his wife, Angela, about problems she had with Shelby that day.

"Angela and I decided to put Shelby into a linen closet, remove the door knob to prevent her from getting out, and forced the door shut," the statement obtained by the Deseret Morning News said. "Angela and I knew the space between the shelving in the closet and the closet door was too small for her to fit, but we put her into the closet anyway and forced the door shut. We then left the room and went to watch television."

Shelby called out that she couldn't breathe and was vomiting.

"I started to get up to let her out, but Angela told me not to let her out because Shelby was just trying to play me," Andrews said in the statement.

When they later opened the door, Andrews said Shelby's "lifeless" body fell to the floor.

In his guilty plea statement, Andrews said he knew that his wife had been abusing Shelby for some time. He claims that earlier in the day, Angela Andrews made the little girl eat her own feces as punishment for having an accident. Two weeks earlier, Andrews said he saw his wife sexually assault the girl with her heel and a can of Lysol.

"This method of abuse and others occurred over the days and weeks immediately preceding Shelby's death and also included Angela repeatedly slamming Shelby's head into the stairs in our house," Andrews said.

As prosecutors finished reading the statement, Judge Michael Allphin looked at Andrews.

"Is that what happened Mr. Andrews?" he asked.