20 years for Burlington County man convicted in toddler’s death

The Shamong Township man convicted after a five-week trial for the 2013 death of a one-year-old in his girlfriend's care is sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Steven R. Donaldson, 32, is required to serve 17 years without parole consideration, according to the office of Burlington County Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi.

He faces an unrelated drug-possession charge, stemming from an incident in his house last October 29.

According to authorities, New Jersey State Police arrived to question him about a hit-and-run collision that occurred the same day, and allegedly found heroin and drug-related items in his possession.

A jury last November found Donaldson guilty of aggravated manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child for the episode in his girlfriend's Cinnaminson home on February 12, 2013.

Claudia Nunes celebrated her first birthday one day before her death, investigators said. Donaldson's girlfriend served as the toddler's foster mother and was working at the time, according to authorities.

Prosecutors said that Donaldson called 911 just before 8 PM to report that the youngster had stopped breathing. Police and emergency medical technicians were unable to revive her, and she was pronounced dead at Kennedy University Hospital in Cherry Hill.

Autopsy results found a fractured skull, brain swelling and bleeding, and listed the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head. Donaldson claimed that the baby fell while he was preparing to change her diaper, and landed on her head, authorities said.