COVINGTON, La. (AP) — A 27-year-old Louisiana man faces mandatory life in prison after being convicted of killing one of his 6-week-old sons.
District Attorney Warren Montgomery says a St. Tammany Parish jury convicted Anthony Dearmas of New Orleans of first-degree murder Friday in the death of Karter Smith.
A news release says Dearmas was caring for his twins and a 3-year-old boy while their mother was at work in May 2017.
He first told police the 3-year-old dropped Karter. But he later admitted hitting the screaming baby.
Defense attorneys said Dearmas didn’t mean to kill Karter, making the death manslaughter.
Jurors rejected that argument and an insanity plea, convicting him on an 11-1 vote.
A state law requiring unanimous convictions for felonies applies only to cases that occurred after the law took effect.