Man sentenced for death of 3-year-old Pierce County boy
A man accused of killing a 3-year-old Tacoma boy was sentenced Friday.
Mark Anthony Brown Jr., 27, pleaded guilty last year to first-degree manslaughter for the death of Jeremiah Horton.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge James Orlando gave him a mid-range sentence of seven and a half years, which is what both the defense and prosecution recommended.
Brown wrote in his plea paperwork that he “recklessly caused the death of” the toddler.
“I did not intend to cause this to happen and am very sorry for my actions,” the statement said.
Horton died at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital July 4, 2018, about a week after he was taken there.
According to charging papers:
Brown watched the toddler and his 4-year-old brother while their mother was at work. She came home, went to kiss the children goodnight and saw the toddler was stiff and shaking.
She and Brown took him to the hospital, where doctors said the boy was unlikely to survive.
His injuries were possibly from violent shaking or hitting a surface, the doctors noted. He also had bruises that appeared to match Brown’s belt buckle, a detective said.
The 4-year-old said his brother got in trouble because he “pooped on himself” and that Brown hit his brother with his belt.
Brown told investigators he did not hurt the child and had not been frustrated with the toddler.
He told the Judge Friday: “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what happened. I feel bad.”
Defense attorney Travis Currie told the court that his client had been a youth pastor and a youth football coach, had no prior criminal history and had served in the Army.
Before handing down the sentence, Judge Orlando said: “There is no easy way to sentence somebody when they’re responsible for the death of a child.”
