Duluth Man Pleads Guilty To Murdering 13-Month-Old Daughter
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 30-year-old Duluth man has pleaded guilty to suffocating his 13-month-old daughter to death, the St. Louis County Attorney's Office announced.
On Monday, Christopher Dennis Peterson pleaded guilty in State District Court to second-degree murder with the understanding that he will receive a 40-year prison sentence – the statutory maximum – in connection to the July 5 death of his daughter, Layna.
Layna was found unresponsive by her mother shortly before noon on July 6. The child was pronounced dead when police arrived.
A police investigation revealed the child had no reported medical issues and the medical examiner ruled out any natural cause of death. The death was ruled a homicide by suffocation.
On July 28, Peterson admitted to police in a statement that he would frequently put his hand over his daughter's mouth and pinch her nostrils closed when she was crying. He said he didn't intend for her to die and that she had always resumed breathing in the past.
Assistant St. Louis County Attorney Jessica Fralich prosecuted the case and calls it another sad example of domestic violence and violence against children.
"Today is all about justice for Layna," Fralich said. "Mr. Peterson's plea afforded Layna's family the ability to hear from him directly about the heinous crime that he committed."
Fralich added that she hopes the plea will help the family begin the long road to healing.
Sentencing for Peterson is set for Nov. 12.