Man sentenced for role in death of daughter

LOS ANGELES -- A Rowland Heights man was sentenced to one year of felony probation Thursday because he did nothing during the time his wife tortured and beat to death their 22-month-old adopted daughter.

Perry Lin, 37, pleaded no contest Jan. 12 to a charge of being an accessory after the fact. He was sentenced by Supervising Judge David Wesley in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The case involves the death of Ellana Lin, who was adopted legally from China. She died Nov. 2, 2003, of blunt-force trauma and had injuries over her entire body, court records show.

On Jan. 11, Lin's wife, Dianne Buu Lin, 38, was sentenced by the same judge to 15 years behind bars for second-degree murder.

Perry Lin did nothing to stop the abuse while little Ellana was struck in the groin with a massage tool known as a Chinese stick made of wood, metal and plastic, court records show.

According to court records, the child suffered removal of her nipples and had fingernail impressions dug into her body.

Also, Dianne Lin confessed to a sheriff's homicide detective that she regularly hit the baby and cleaned blood from the home's carpet.

During the investigation, Perry Lin told a detective the couple took the baby to St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton after she was hurt by falling off a bed and landing on her head.

Dianne Lin was pregnant when she was arrested and gave birth to a baby girl in March 2004, who now lives with family members.

-- Karen Rubin can be reached at (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2109, or by e-mail at karen.rubin@sgvn.com .