Plea agreements for two cases resulting in the death of the victims of the crime were recently reached, according to Bill Dobbs, McDonald County Prosecuting attorney.
Tyler E. Waeltz, 20, of Jane, pleaded guilty to a charge of abuse or neglect of a child -- resulting in death.
Daxton Harrison, 22, Tuttle, Okla., pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter -- vehicular -- intoxicated.
Waeltz Case
Waeltz received a sentence of 15 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Dobbs said he will be required to serve at least 85 percent of that before he is eligible for parole.
Waeltz was home alone with his four-month-old son when the incident occurred, according to a deputy with McDonald County Sheriff's Department, who reported Waeltz became upset after speaking to his ex-girlfriend on the phone. Deputy Brandon Barrett said Waeltz told him "he somewhat abused the child as a result of that phone call."
According to Barrett, Waeltz admitted throwing the child onto a couch, dropping him headfirst into a playpen and then kicking the playpen with child inside the enclosure.
The baby was first transported to Mercy Hospital in Rogers, Ark., before he was transferred to the Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock where he died. When the baby arrived at Little Rock, he was on artificial life support. He had several areas of bruising in addition to more serious traumatic injuries, including a severe head injury which was the main cause of the baby's condition. The head injury caused acute swelling of the brain and that areas of bleeding in the organ were widespread, according to testimony of a child abuse pediatrician at Arkansas Children's Hospital at a preliminary hearing held in June 2014.
The doctor said there were three traumatic injuries to the head, including a skull fracture. The child's condition did not improve before he was pronounced dead at 1:35 p.m. Feb. 19, 2014, due to a heart arrhythmia caused by swelling to the brain.
"These type cases are always very difficult to resolve," Dobbs said. "The family wanted to avoid the rigors of a trial. It is always my goal to try to incorporate the family's wishes in any plea offered. The family members believe this was adequate under the circumstances."
Harrison Case
Harrison received a sentence of seven years on the manslaughter charge and three years on an additional charge of driving while intoxicated -- persistent offender. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported at the time of the wreck that Harrison was westbound on Route H, west of Pineville, on April 12, 2014, when he failed to negotiate a curve, skidded off the north side of the road and overturned into a building.
The crash resulted in the death of a passenger, Heather M. Garrett, 20, of Rogers, Ark.
The highway patrol found Harrison to be intoxicated. A records check revealed that he had been previously convicted of an alcohol-related driving offense in McDonald County and of another in Fayetteville, Ark.
Harrison was originally charged with second degree murder -- vehicular -- intoxicated by Johnathan Pierce, prosecuting attorney at the time.
"It was reduced to involuntary manslaughter, which is the appropriate charge under the circumstances," Dobbs said. "The victim's family was consulted on several occasions and they too wished to avoid a trial. I believe this was a just resolution of a very tragic incident."
Both men have been held in the McDonald County Jail since the time of their arrests.
General News on 03/26/2015