April 04, 2019 - 12:22 PM
RIPLEY, W.Va. - A West Virginia man has been sentenced to life in prison without the chance for parole for sexually abusing and killing his girlfriend's 10-month-old baby.
News outlets report a Jackson County Circuit Court judge sentenced 33-year-old Benjamin Taylor of Cottageville to life for first-degree murder, 40 years for death of a child by child abuse, and at least 10 years for sexual abuse by a guardian or custodian. The first two sentences are to run consecutively.
A sheriff's deputy testified Taylor had blood on his torso and a wet spot on his pants when officers went to the home in Fairplain in October 2016.
Taylor testified he consumed several beers while the girl was under his care but could not recall what happened to her the night of her death.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019