Arizona man gets 20 years for killing 15-month-old boy

KINGMAN – A western Arizona man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing a 15-month-old boy in October 2014.

The Mohave Valley Daily News reports 23-year-old Tyler James Kirkpatrick was sentenced Tuesday after he entered an Alford plea last month to second-degree murder.

A person doesn’t admit guilt in an Alford plea but acknowledges that there is enough evidence likely for a conviction.

Authorities say the Fort Mohave resident killed Kade Krystal, the son of his girlfriend. The child was left in his care while the mother was working.

Authorities say the mother returned to find the child with severe bruises. The boy was taken to a hospital where he died two days later.

The medical examiner determined the boy died from blunt force trauma to the head.

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