LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan man has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse in the death of his 8-month-old daughter last year.
The Lansing State Journal reports testimony at the trial of 22-year-old Tatum Cole of Lansing indicated that he was sleep-deprived and angry when he threw the infant onto a couch.
Prosecutors asked the Ingham County Circuit Court jury to convict him of first-degree felony murder and first-degree child abuse in the May 2016 death of Ava Cole, but jurors instead found him guilty of the lesser manslaughter and second-degree child abuse charges.
His lawyer Paul Toman said the trial’s outcome was fair.
Officials say Ava had cerebral palsy, a heart condition and other medical problems. The manslaughter charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
