Sentenced: Robert Stynes Insists That His 2 M O Died In His Sleep, His Fractured Skull Says Something Else

[Sugar Cookie]

Robert Stynes has insisted since his 2-month-old son’s death last April that the baby died in his sleep.

On Friday, a jury rejected that story, finding him guilty of 2nd-degree reckless homicide for the death of Cameron Stynes. He now faces up to 15 years in prison.

Stynes was tearful as he was led away from the courtroom in shackles, and his grandmother wept as she leaned on a walker in the hallway.

Prosecutors argued during the emotional three-day trial that Stynes, who was caring for Cameron and his 2 1/2-year-old brother alone while their mother, his girlfriend, was at work, had become overwhelmed with the exhaustion of caring for two young children, and that he had caused the baby’s death with two blows to the head.

“There is no one asserting that this defendant set out to kill his baby Cameron,” District Attorney Michael Graveley said during his closing argument. “What the state has, I believe, proven to you is that the defendant lost it, that he lost it in the way we all commonly think of that, and that he lashed out twice.”

Throughout the trial, the courtroom was filled, with Stynes’ family and supporters sitting on one side of the courtroom. On the other side, the baby’s mother sat silently in the front row, surrounded by family and supporters.

On the final day of the trial, she shook her head silently when Judge David Bastianelli read the jury instructions that outlined the verdict forms, shaking her head “no” when he read the text of the not-guilty verdict form, “yes” when he read the guilty form.

The jury took about three hours over two days to reach their decision.

At the trial, Graveley presented evidence that Cameron died of head trauma, with two medical experts testifying that — although there was no outward sign of trauma on the infant’s body — the baby had a skull fracture and two areas of hemorrhaging in his brain. Both of the those witnesses testified the injuries would have been caused by blunt force trauma to the head.

However, the Milwaukee County pathologist that conducted the autopsy had initially ruled that the cause of death was undetermined, and testified he could not be sure what caused the baby’s death. Another medical examiner hired by the defense testified that the skull fracture was caused by autopsy after death, and also said the cause of death was undetermined.

Graveley also presented a number of witnesses who testified that Stynes’ description of what happened when, he said, he discovered Cameron dead in his bassinet after a nap, did not match physical evidence at the scene.

While he said that he believed Stynes’ grief over the death was real, Graveley argued that “in his regret, in his profound and emotional regret for what he has done and desperation to avoid responsibility” he staged the scene in his apartment to try to make it appear that he had found the baby dead and attempted to save him.

Stynes is scheduled to be sentenced June 11.

http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/loc...cle_839e6626-1dfe-56b8-8fcb-18791c90bddb.html

 

[Sejanus]

Give him the full 15.

 

[Satanica]

Too bad he can't be caned every day of it.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

@Satanica

Jun 12, 2018

Robert Stynes, found guilty of killing his 2-month-old son, will spend 15 years in prison followed by 10 years of extended supervision. He will be credited for 426 days.

After a three-day trial in March, a jury found Stynes guilty for the April 2017 death of his infant son Cameron. Although there was some disagreement among medical experts at trial, two doctors testified that Cameron died of blunt force trauma to his head. Prosecutors argued that Stynes was exhausted and lost his temper while caring for the baby and Cameron’s 2½-year-old brother, and struck Cameron twice in the head.

Stynes, 35, has maintained that he did not injure his son, and continued to maintain his innocence at his sentencing Monday. He said the baby died in his sleep.

“There is no one asserting that this defendant set out to kill his baby Cameron,” Graveley said during his closing argument at the trial. “What the state has, I believe, proven to you is that the defendant lost it, that he lost it in the way we all commonly think of that, and that he lashed out twice.”

At his sentencing hearing, Cameron’s mother asked that Stynes be sentenced to the maximum prison sentence allowed for a second-degree reckless homicide, 15 years. The state also asked for a 15-year sentence.

http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/loc...cle_a36278d8-cbe7-5816-9f1a-d025cbe9bf1d.html

 

[Muriel Schwenck]

A defense lawyer is paid to make those statements.
Of course he didn't mean to kill the baby. But he lost control and fatally injured his son.
Enjoy some prison time killer Dad.

 

[Siobhan]

His two month old died in a closed head injury induced coma, not "in his sleep", FFS.
The shyte these baby killers will say to avoid acceptance of causing their child's deaths, regardless of what the evidence reveals as the factual COD never ceases to make me want to strap them to ol' sparky and trip the switch myself.
Aren't we long overdue for a BTDI (bathtub did it) excuse?