Bronx Father Sentenced to Seven Years for Shaking 3-Month-Old Daughter to Death

A Bronx man was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in prison, plus five years of post-release supervision, after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter and concealment of a human corpse in the May 2023 death of his 3-month-old daughter, Genevieve. The infant was killed inside a homeless shelter in Highbridge, and her body was later found dumped in a wooded area near the Major Deegan Expressway, prosecutors said.

Damion Comager, 26, faced the $charges at Bronx Supreme Court in front of Justice Audrey Stone after admitting to the fatalities and the subsequent concealment. In addition to the principal charges, prosecutors noted that Comager and the infant’s mother, Ivana Paolozzi, dressed Genevieve’s body and placed her in a stroller before discarding the bagged remains in a secluded woodland site alongside the highway. Comager’s arrest followed a confession he reportedly made to his father, who then alerted police, spurring the search and discovery of the infant’s body.

The case also involves Paolozzi, who faces charges including tampering with physical evidence, concealment of a human corpse, and second-degree obstructing governmental administration. Authorities said she was released after arraignment with monitoring, and she was deemed a significant flight risk due to her Swiss passport and expired visa status. Prosecutors noted that the state’s 2019 criminal justice reforms rendered certain bail determinations in her case ineligible.

“In a shocking display of cruelty, this defendant took the life of his 3-month-old daughter Genevieve and then showed a lack of humanity by leaving the infant’s body in a garbage-ridden place,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a statement following the sentencing. “This sentence brings justice for an innocent life taken so soon.” The court also ordered that Comager serve five years of post-release supervision after his seven-year term.

[Image: Damion Comager escorted by court officers] https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/man-escorted-court-officers-damion-12104104.jpg?w=1024

The proceedings also revealed personal remembrances from Comager’s family. Damion’s father, Donald Comager, told The Post that he is grateful his son will have a chance to “get his life together,” but he said he thinks about Genevieve “all the time.” He described holding onto the infant’s remains and said he worries about his son, though he acknowledged the seven-year sentence as preferable to life in prison. “Seven years is better than life in prison,” he said, adding that he has not spoken with his son since the sentencing.

“I got her remains with me … I think about her all the time,” Donald Comager said, speaking of Genevieve as he pressed for accountability in the case. He also voiced frustration that Paolozzi has not yet faced formal charges in the public record, asking why she was not imprisoned as well. He said he has had little contact with Paolozzi since the investigation intensified.

Damion Comager, who is from Louisiana, had moved to New York with Paolozzi in December, about three months before Genevieve’s birth. Local authorities and the defendant’s family have noted a history of mental health struggles for Comager, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in childhood. He had had prior arrests in Louisiana on charges including assault, domestic violence, and criminal impersonation dating back to 2021, according to NYPD sources.

The case underscores the ongoing challenge of addressing violent offenses in the context of New York’s evolving criminal justice reforms and the complicated factors surrounding bail and monitoring in high-risk cases. Prosecutors said the sentence reflects the severity of the harm to a vulnerable infant and the manner in which the killing was carried out and concealed, while the defendant’s family noted the personal and emotional devastation that followed the tragedy.

[Image: Damion Comager and Ivana Paolozzi in family photos] https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/damion-comager-ivana-paolozzi-parents-11926814.jpg?w=819

Genevieve’s death has drawn renewed attention to the safety of infants in temporary shelters and the responsibilities of caregivers and guardians in unstable living arrangements. Community members and advocates called for ongoing vigilance and support services to prevent similar tragedies, stressing the need for resources for families facing housing insecurity and mental health challenges.

Authorities emphasized that Paolozzi’s case remains active, with prosecutors continuing to pursue the remaining charges. The judge’s decision to impose a seven-year term with post-release supervision aims to balance accountability with the possibility of rehabilitation, according to people familiar with the proceedings.

The sentencing concludes a case that has shaken a New York community and highlighted the precarity of family life in transitional housing, where the safety and welfare of children remain a central concern for law enforcement and social services alike.