A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to a significant amount of time in prison after confessing to the tragic death of his 4-month-old son. The man admitted to shaking the baby boy on multiple occasions, leading to this devastating outcome.
A press release issued by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced that Tyler Sullivan, 31, has pleaded guilty to murder in the third degree and endangering the welfare of a child.
Pennsylvania is one of the few remaining U.S. jurisdictions that still has a third-degree murder statute in place.
The father received a sentence of 15 to 30 years in state prison from Bucks County Common Pleas Judge Gary B. Gilman on Tuesday.
“This is undeniably a tragic event from beginning to end,” Gilman expressed during the sentencing hearing, which was filled with intense emotions.
In the late hours of May 24, 2023, law enforcement swiftly arrived at a residence on Radcliffe Street in Bristol, Pennsylvania, in response to a distressing call regarding a 4-month-old infant experiencing cardiac arrest. Bristol, a small borough within the greater Philadelphia metro area, became the center of attention for authorities.
Law enforcement arrived to find the child not breathing and cold to the touch, as reported by the district attorney’s office.
Despite the valiant efforts of the police officers who administered CPR and rushed the infant to nearby Lower Bucks Hospital, unfortunately, their efforts were unsuccessful. A tragic incident occurred just one minute after midnight, resulting in the loss of a young life.
Sullivan was taken into custody and promptly brought before the court, facing charges of criminal homicide and aggravated assault.
According to prosecutors, a reviewing physician found that the boy had contusions, bruises, and abrasions all over his body, which are believed to be signs of a battered child. Investigators found that Sullivan had engaged in severe shaking of the child on multiple occasions, both on the day of the child’s death and in the weeks leading up to it. Almost half of the boy’s short life was filled with enduring his father’s abuse.
“My baby deserved to live a long, happy, wonderful life,” expressed the boy’s mother in a heartfelt impact statement during the sentencing hearing.
She mentioned that the emotional pain caused by her son’s passing prevented her from ever going back to the apartment they used to live in together. The mother continues to be haunted by the memories of learning about her child’s death.
The boy’s aunt also had something to say. According to her, the tragic loss of the baby has left an irreplaceable void in our hearts. We will always remember him.
The man, who has since been condemned, gave a lengthy and emotional statement in which he expressed his deep remorse and admitted to feeling overwhelming guilt and shame for the tragic death of his son.
Sullivan has been mandated to receive mental health treatment alongside his prison sentence.