Kwin Boes, 23, from Patoka, Indiana, was arrested in May 2018 after his 11-week-old son Parker died of head trauma.
Boes initially claimed he was asleep when the head injury was sustained and only found out there was a problem upon waking up. He claimed the baby had escaped his nursing pillow and hit the floor.
But doctors said that the child’s head trauma could not have been from an accident. Boes eventually pleaded guilty to a level-two felony charge of domestic battery resulting in death, 14 News reported.
During closing arguments, the defense said Boes had accepted full responsibility for what happened in order to give the family some closure.
The defense also argued Boes would suffer financial hardships by being in prison, 44 News reported.
As he was leaving the courtroom at Gibson County Courthouse on Wednesday, a man rushed towards him and punched him.
Sheriff Tim Bottoms said the attacker was Jeremiah “Matt” Hartley, the baby’s uncle.
Hartley was handcuffed and taken into custody after the attack. He faces six months in prison for battery charges, 44 News reported.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Abigail Brown-Cox said: “It’s an infant, and it’s hard to deal with that you just have to cope with it as best you can.
“I can’t imagine what they’ve been going through really, without going through it myself.”
Boes could have faced 30 years, but instead will serve 19 years in prison and six on work release. He was also ordered to pay his son’s funeral expenses.
Brown Cox said: “We feel pretty good about the process, I think it was a good outcome for all involved at this point.”
Meanwhile in Orlando, Florida state prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for another man accused of killing his own baby.
Caleb Scott, 23, was arrested and indicted on first-degree murder charges after his five-month-old son died. The child was found with bruises on his face, arms and torso, Fox 35 reported.
“This child was murdered and suffered greatly, during the course of the abuse at the hands of the defendant,” said R.J. Larizza, state attorney for the 7th Judicial Circuit.
