march 14, 2014
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The man found guilty in the fatal beating of a boy in Fayette County has now been sentenced to the death penalty.
The jury recommended that Patrick Haney should face the death penalty one day after finding him guilty.
(Photo Credit: Pennsylvania State Police/KDKA)
On Tuesday, Haney was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 4-year-old Trenton St. Clair. It only took the jury 90 minutes to reach a guilty verdict.
Today, Haney showed no emotion as the jury’s decision was announced. The judge then imposed the sentence.
Prosecutors claimed Haney regularly beat the child and had an excuse for every bruise.
On Monday, the child’s mother, Heather Forsythe, testified against Haney after reaching a plea bargain. There will be no homicide charges for her after pleading guilty to reckless endangerment charges and she will face two-and-a-half to five years in jail.
Three days before he died, Forsythe described seeing Haney abusing the child.
“He was standing over my child,” she said. “I saw him hitting and slapping my child and he kicked him with the side of his foot. Trenton was crying.”
She testified she told authorities he fell at the urging of Haney.
“I told police he fell down the steps in hopes I’d be taken somewhere else. I told them I wanted to be separated from Patrick.”
But the 4-year-old was pronounced dead at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown. Later Forsythe told police Haney abused the boy.
RELATED LINKS
Haney Found Guilty In 4-Year-Old Fayette Co. Boy’s Beating Death (3/11/14)
More Reports About This Case
Filed under: Death Penalty, Death Sentence Tagged: Heather Forsythe, KDKA, Patrick Haney, Trenton St. Clair
