An Oakland County judge sentenced a Michigan mother and her boyfriend to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Wednesday for torturing and killing her 6-year-old son in a case prosecutors called simply "horrific."

Judge Michael Warren handed down the sentence to Elaina Rose Jennings, 27, and her boyfriend Daniel John Giacchina, 34, after separate juries convicted both of felony murder, first-degree child abuse and lying to a peace officer in the death of Jennings' son, Giovanni "Chulo" Jennings. Giacchina was convicted on additional weapons counts and received two extra years for those charges, according to WDIV ClickOnDetroit.

Giovanni died on July 30, 2024, after paramedics were called to the family's mobile home in Madison Heights, a Detroit suburb, on a report that he wasn't breathing. An autopsy found he died from blunt-force trauma and a perforated bowel. Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said the boy had bruising and lacerations across his entire body, including inside his mouth, and had been confined for stretches to a wooden "pen" fitted with slats, restraints and curtains, according to Fox 2 Detroit.

Punished for looking out a window

Less than two weeks before Giovanni died, prosecutors said, Giacchina used a staple gun to fasten the boy's shirt to a corner of a wall, pinning his shoulders, head and face into the corner as punishment for looking out a window. Giacchina photographed the boy in that position, and prosecutors said he and Jennings later laughed together over the picture, according to court accounts reported by Court TV.

Investigators said Jennings initially told police someone outside the home was responsible for her son's injuries, before evidence — including photos, videos, text messages and Facebook chats — implicated both her and Giacchina. Prosecutors also said Jennings withheld medical care for her son because she knew an exam would expose the abuse. A younger sibling, 4, was interviewed separately at a child advocacy center as part of the investigation.

"What we found can only be described as horrific."

McDonald, who announced the original charges in August 2024, said the case ranked among the worst her office has prosecuted, adding that "Giovanni Jennings deserved love and protection from the adults in his life." Both defendants were convicted in separate jury trials in June before Wednesday's sentencing closed out the case.

The sentence brings a legal end to a case that shook Madison Heights and drew scrutiny to how child welfare warning signs can go unheeded inside a single household. Local outlets reported no immediate word on whether either defendant plans to appeal the convictions or the life sentences. For now, both Jennings and Giacchina will spend the rest of their lives in a Michigan prison, with no parole eligibility under the sentence Warren imposed.