The courts sentenced a Virginia woman who beat her 3-year-old goddaughter to death to 30 years behind bars, according to CBS6.

Danielle Turner, 25, carried out the unthinkable abuse on infant Latrice Walden in February. Turner originally claimed that Walden had hit her head on the faucet when she slipped in the bathtub. She later admitted to hitting the baby over the head several times. She also waited more than six hours to report her injuries, as reported by WTVR.

Turner and the victim’s mother, Nikki Brown, were friends for nearly a decade. In fact, a report recently revealed that Turner was watching the toddler because Brown had just given birth to another child.

Child abuse expert Dr. Robin Foster testified that Walden had approximately 100 bruises on her body. The most severe injuries, which appeared on her brain and head, mirrored abusive head trauma seen in “shaken baby syndrome,” according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

“What this child went through from Thursday, February 11 through Monday, February 15, is as bad as it gets,” Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Edward Nickel said while arguing for the maximum sentence of 40 years.

As Crime Online previously reported, an autopsy report revealed that Walden died from blunt force trauma to the head.

“My deepest condolences to the Brown family,” Turner told the victim’s family in court on Friday. “I really apologize for my actions.”

The 25-year-old was originally facing felony child neglect but the charges were later upgraded to first-degree murder. She ultimately pleaded no contest to an amended second-degree murder charge in March.

“Latrice was very special to me and I am grieving like everyone else,” Turner said. “I want to apologize to my family too.”

[Featured Image: Richmond Police Department/Facebook]