Jul 27, 2015
The Afghanistan war veteran who pleaded guilty in the death of a Chesterton 2-year-old was sentenced to 30 years in prison and five years probation Monday during a tumultuous hearing.
When Felix Richard Duron pleaded guilty on June 15, he admitted he was the reason that Bentley Mihal needed medical attention before he died the next day, July 19, 2014.
Mihal had traumatic injury and bruising on his back, but Duron told police for two months that he found the toddler face down by a trampoline at their Chesterton home and that Mihal hit his head earlier, court documents said.
Police arrested Duron in September after hearing that he was packing to leave the area.
Duron admitted then that he'd shaken the child, demonstrating it on a garbage can with what police said was anger in his eyes, the probable cause affidavit said.
Mihal's mother, Shaina Reynolds, said on the witness stand that Duron was the only father Mihal knew and Duron's inaction after injuring Mihal cost the boy's life.
"He chose my son's fate that day. It's not child abuse resulting in death. It was murder," Reynolds said.
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