Mom viciously beat her daughter, 2, to death... then demanded ghoulish 'after life' photoshoot and told people the girl 'choked on a banana'

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 06:11, 23 August 2026 | Updated: 06:15, 23 August 2026 A twisted North Carolina mother viciously beat her two-year-old daughter to death before asking for a ghoulish 'after life' photoshoot, according to the photographer.  Jeanie Kassandra Ditty was found guilty of the heinous crime and sentenced to life in jail, the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys announced on Thursday.  Her fate was delivered more than a decade after her daughter, Macy Grace Ditty, was rushed to Cape Fear Valley Regional Medical Center with bruises all over her body on December 2, 2015, prosecutors said in a press release.  Medical staff determined that the child 'suffered at least 40 separate physical blows' that had been inflicted in a 24-hour period, district attorneys said.  Macy, of Fayetteville, died two days later. Her mother, now 33, was arrested and charged in 2016 with first-degree murder and negligent child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury. Jeanie's live-in boyfriend, Zachary Keefer, was also arrested and charged with the same. His charges were subsequently dismissed.  After taking her daughter's life, Jeanie reached out to Sunny Jo, a photographer, on January 4, 2016, and asked if he could compose 'after life' photos of her and her dead daughter, ABC News previously reported.  Jo offered a package called 'One More Time,' which saw transparent images of a deceased loved one added to a photo to make them look like an angel. The images depicted Macy holding her mother's hand through a cemetery, among others. Macy Grace Ditty, two, died on December 4, 2015, after she suffered '40 separate physical blows' at the hands of her mother, Jeanie Kassandra Ditty About a month after her daughter died, Jeanie contacted a photographer to create 'after life' images of her and her deceased daughter. The images depicted Macy holding her mother's hand through a cemetery, among others He also shared the shocking excuse that Jeanie gave to him about how her daughter died.  'She told me her daughter had passed away by choking on a banana, and that choking gave her seizures which made her lose oxygen to the brain and then she passed away,' Jo told WRAL.  Jo, who had heard about Macy's death and offered the package to Jeanie for free, then passed that information on to police.  Jeanie turned herself in to the police on March 24, 2016.  All the charges against Keefer were dismissed in November 2020 after investigators determined he was not present when the horrid abuse was inflicted on the toddler, Law & Crime reported.  Her case went to trial in 2020, but it ended with a hung jury following a 10-2 vote in favor of her guilt.  Jury selection for her new trial started earlier this month, and 16 witnesses testified, including medical professionals who treated the girl, according to WRAL.  Some witnesses also testified that they tried to intervene after noticing Jeanie's aggressive behavior toward little Macy.  She was found guilty after less than three hours of deliberations.  On Thursday, Jeanie was sentenced to life in prison without the chance for parole According to prosecutors, as jurors exited the courtroom, Jeanie (pictured with her late daughter) 'created a severe disturbance in the courtroom, cursing and shouting at individuals present' Jeanie will spend the rest of her life behind bars without the possibility of parole for the first-degree murder charge, followed by 157 to 201 months for felonious child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury, prosecutors announced.  During her sentencing, Macy's paternal grandmother and maternal great-aunt delivered emotional victim impact statements, the DA's office said.  'Macy was a precious toddler who was loved by so many people. They carried the grief of losing Macy while always continuing to fight for her story to be told and justice to be served, and though it was a long road, it finally reached a conclusion,' Special Prosecutor Lisa Coltrain with the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys said.  Coltrain added: 'The jurors in this trial have my deepest respect and appreciation; it was a difficult story to bear witness to, and they were incredibly diligent in their fortitude and earnest intent to find the truth in this case.'  According to prosecutors, as jurors exited the courtroom, Jeanie 'created a severe disturbance in the courtroom, cursing and shouting at individuals present.'  During her sentencing, Macy's paternal grandmother and maternal great-aunt delivered emotional victim impact statements, the DA's office said Several officers had to step in and subdue her before her sentencing. She was also shackled in leg irons and handcuffs after the outburst.  Kimberly Spahos, Director of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, echoed Coltrain on the outcome.  'This verdict reflects years of extraordinary perseverance by a team that never lost sight of who this case was about: Macy,' she said.  'Their work ensured that Macy’s story was told, that her voice was heard, and that the evidence was presented with the care, skill, and determination this case demanded. 'Justice was a long time coming for Macy, but I am grateful it was finally realized and for the team that never stopped pursuing it,' Spahos added.