A man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for murdering and abusing a 4-year-old boy in 2013.
James Dwight Robinson was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and 34 additional years on two child abuse charges. The sentences will run consecutively. He was convicted in a June trial.
In March 2013, Robinson was arrested for abusing and killing Jaedyn Minley, the son of his live-in girlfriend. Police found the boy dead after investigating a 911 call from the 5400 block of East Williams that the boy had drowned. They found no signs that the boy had been in water.
They found bruises all over his body, and concluded they had disciplined the boy for several hours before putting him to bed. In the morning they found him unresponsive.
According to court documents, Robinson admitted to detectives that he beat Jaedyn for an hour straight -- at one point breaking the sandal he was using and then taping it back together only to beat him again.
The boy's mother, Judy Minley, also faces murder and abuse charges and is awaiting trial.
