In Nebraska, Ryan Greenwood has been sentenced, but Tanya Greenwood’s case remains pending after a competency finding.
LINCOLN, Neb. — The death of 4-month-old Elizabeth Greenwood now sits in two court tracks: a prison sentence for her father and an unresolved competency process for her mother.
Ryan Greenwood, 36, was sentenced May 8 to 65 to 80 years in prison after a jury convicted him of intentional child abuse resulting in death. Tanya Greenwood, his wife and the baby’s mother, was also charged after the Aug. 14, 2025, death, but a court later found her not competent to stand trial. The split leaves one parent convicted and sentenced while the other remains in custody-related proceedings that turn on mental competency, not guilt or innocence.
The criminal case began when Ryan Greenwood called 911 from the family’s Lincoln apartment and reported that the baby was dead. Police responded before dawn to the apartment complex near South 27th Street and Woods Boulevard. The father told investigators he found Elizabeth unresponsive and cold after checking on her that morning. He said he performed CPR, called his mother and then contacted emergency dispatchers. Tanya Greenwood was also present when officers arrived. What first appeared as a death call soon drew the Lincoln Police Department’s Special Victims Unit, which began gathering statements, physical evidence and surveillance video.
From the beginning, the parents’ accounts did not line up cleanly. Ryan Greenwood told police he had been “playing rough” with the infant the day before and that she cried uncontrollably. He said he gave her a bottle at about 11 p.m., put her to bed and thought she was fine. Tanya Greenwood told investigators she had returned from grocery shopping earlier on Aug. 13 and heard a cry she called “the worst cry I had ever heard.” She said she wanted to seek medical care, but her husband told her not to do that. Those statements became important because they placed the baby in distress hours before she was found dead.
Medical findings raised the stakes of both cases. An autopsy found that Elizabeth died from a traumatic brain injury consistent with shaking. A child abuse specialist concluded that the injuries were nonaccidental and said immediate medical care could have improved the baby’s chance of survival. Police said the investigation showed injuries consistent with nonaccidental trauma. Prosecutors used those conclusions to pursue charges tied to child abuse resulting in death. For Ryan Greenwood, the evidence led to a five-day trial and a March conviction. For Tanya Greenwood, the allegations remained pending as the court addressed whether she could participate in her own defense.
Ryan Greenwood’s path moved quickly by comparison. He was arrested Aug. 26, 2025, about 12 days after the baby died. He later went to trial in March 2026, where jurors found him guilty of intentional child abuse resulting in death. The court set sentencing for May 8, when he received the 65-to-80-year prison term. The sentence reflected the gravity of a fatal child abuse conviction and moved his case into the prison system. Public reports did not provide a full sentencing transcript, but the outcome established that the court accepted the jury’s verdict and imposed a decades-long term.
Tanya Greenwood was arrested Aug. 28, 2025, two days after her husband. Like him, she was initially held on a $1.5 million bond. Her case then took a different turn. A court found her not competent to stand trial, and prosecutors said she could become competent later. A review hearing was set for May 14. In Nebraska, as in other courts, a competency finding focuses on whether a defendant understands the proceedings and can help counsel. It does not clear the defendant, and it does not prove the charge. It pauses the normal movement toward trial until competency is restored or the court makes another ruling.
The allegations involving Tanya Greenwood are tied to what police said she knew before and after Elizabeth’s death. Court records described in reports said she had seen Ryan Greenwood shake the baby on at least one occasion and squeeze the baby’s leg tightly another time. Investigators also reviewed texts in which she had asked him about injuries on the child. Reports said phone data showed online searches related to shaken baby syndrome. Those details help explain why prosecutors charged her even though the father was identified as the person who admitted “playing rough.” The state’s theory included not only the fatal injury, but also the failure to get medical help.
The competency issue leaves important questions unanswered. It is unknown when Tanya Greenwood will be found competent, whether she will go to trial, whether prosecutors will amend the charge or whether any plea discussions will occur. The public record also does not fully show how her defense may respond to the allegations about texts, searches and earlier observations. Ryan Greenwood’s conviction may affect the way the remaining case is viewed, but it does not decide her legal responsibility. A separate judge or jury would still have to evaluate evidence against her if the case proceeds.
The case also developed under public scrutiny because of Ryan Greenwood’s online presence. Before the death, he had posted videos and messages about Christianity, repentance and “pro dad” tips for new parents. One reported post discussed cleaning a baby bottle after a night feeding and compared a clean vessel to religious forgiveness. After sentencing, those posts became part of the public discussion around the case. They did not replace the court evidence, but they added a stark contrast to a prosecution built on allegations of shaken baby injuries, delayed medical care and a dead infant.
For Lincoln police, the case remained rooted in the apartment and the final hours of Elizabeth’s life. Investigators said they collected physical evidence, reviewed surveillance footage and interviewed both parents. The known timeline runs from grocery shopping and a severe cry on Aug. 13, to a late bottle feeding, to the early 911 call on Aug. 14, to arrests later that month. The known medical conclusion is that the baby died from a traumatic brain injury consistent with shaking. The known court result is that Ryan Greenwood was convicted and sentenced. The unresolved legal question is what happens to Tanya Greenwood’s pending case.
Currently, Ryan Greenwood’s sentence stands at 65 to 80 years. Tanya Greenwood’s charge remains on a separate course, with the next step controlled by competency findings and future court review.
Author note: Last updated June 3, 2026.