Richmond couple acquitted of murder but convicted of life-eligible assault charge in death of their 5-week-old son

MARTINEZ — A Richmond man and woman avoided a murder conviction in the death of their infant son, but were found guilty of an equally serious offense, authorities said.

Ray Ray Darn, 37, and Marilyn Northington, 30, were convicted of assault on a child causing death — a crime that carries 25 years to life in prison — as well as an involuntary manslaughter. Both charges stem from the death of 5-week-old Amary Darn, who suffered broken bones, sores, burns, starvation and methamphetamine in his bloodstream before his parents admitted him to a nearby hospital.

Jurors acquitted the couple of murder. They deliberated for roughly four days before announcing their verdict on Monday.

At sentencing, it will be up to Contra Costa Judge Terri Mockler to decide whether to stack the sentences or run them concurrently.

The evidence surrounding Amary’s death was horrific, and both Darn and Northington’s lawyers’ pointed the finger at the other parent, creating a situation where each defendant was being accused of wrongdoing by a defense attorney and a prosecutor.

Darn’s lawyer contended that Amary died of “toxic breast milk” from his drug addicted mother and said the pathologist contracted by the county to do the baby’s autopsy made serious errors. Northington’s lawyer painted Darn as a serial abuser whose victims included Northington, and said he took advantage of her intellectual disability to make her reliant on him.

At the time of Amary’s death, they were living in the Courtyard by Marriott in Richmond, through the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program that used the Hilltop area hotel to provide housing for people who couldn’t afford it during the coronavirus pandemic.

Amary was born a few days after Christmas 2020 and died in early February. When Darn brought him to the hospital, Amary was covered in sores, burns and mold. He suffered broken ribs, a broken femur, a fractured wrist and a fractured skull. There was methamphetamine in his bloodstream — and nothing in his stomach or intestines. He wasn’t just malnourished; he’d been starved, an autopsy later found.

The verdict comes on the heels of yet another child murder case entering the Contra Costa Superior Court system. Last week, a Rodeo man and woman were charged with murder and torture in the death and serious injury of the woman’s children, aged 2 years, and 9 months, respectively.