ANOKA COUNTY, Minn. — Editor's note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 on July 28, 2023.
The Anoka man who admitted he suffocated his infant daughter in 2009, killing her, was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for her murder on Monday.
According to Anoka County court records, 38-year-old Benjamin Russell was sentenced to 138 months in prison, or 11.5 years, for his role in his 3-month-old daughter's murder. Following his confession in July of last year — more than 13 years after the child's death occurred — Russell was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. He ultimately entered a plea of guilty for the former charge, and because Russell had no prior criminal history, he faced a maximum sentence of 15 years behind bars.
With Monday's sentence, Russell also received credit for 389 days already served.
Ahead of Russell's sentencing last week, KARE 11's Heidi Wigdahl spoke with the girl's mother, Natilie Kreye, about how she used baby Suvanna's murder as motivation to help other families impacted by life-altering trauma, and those who have been harmed by gaps in the justice system.
She started "Suvanna's Outreach," to raise funds to support her endeavors last October.
"Once I started helping others and coming up with Suvanna's Outreach, I felt so much more peace," she told Wigdahl.
At the time of Suvanna's death in January 2009, Russell told Kreye and investigators that he left Suvanna in her crib for a nap, returning later to find her rolled onto her stomach, face down on a blanket and unresponsive. Suvanna's cause of death was determined to be positional asphyxia/suffocation, based partly on Russell's original account.
Kreye said more than a decade went by before Russell, already having parted ways with Kreye, told her he was actually responsible for the child's death.
"He came over to my home... and he had told me that he had suffocated her," Kreye said.
Kreye then learned Russell suffocated Suvanna with a pillow.
In the criminal complaint, Russell told investigators he had placed a pillow over her face because "he was aggravated she would not stop crying. After putting the pillow over her face, the defendant went and had a cigarette and did the dishes." The complaint goes on to say that when he returned, Suvanna was blue.
Before Russell's sentencing, Kreye said she didn't believe he'd be given enough time.
"I feel like she was cheated," Kreye told Wigdahl. "To give him 138 months is extremely unfair. It's unfair to her because she only got three months of her life."
At his hearing, Russell's defense claimed "faith overcame" him, prompting his confession.
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