PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — A Peoria man has pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the death of his 18-year-old mentally impaired son in 2013.
The (Peoria) Journal Star reports (http://bit.ly/1pXpsCx ) 41-year-old Darnell L. Hunter pleaded guilty Friday to criminal neglect of a disabled person and involuntary manslaughter. He’s being held at the Peoria County Jail and faces sentencing Aug. 22. He could get up to 12 years in prison under a deal with prosecutors in exchange for the plea.
Prosecutors say Hunter’s teenage son, Darnell “DJ” Hunter Jr., was found malnourished with a core body temperature of 84 degrees before he was hospitalized. He died less than 24 hours later. Prosecutors say he would have lived if he’d had medical attention sooner.
The case had been scheduled for trial Monday before Hunter’s plea.
Comments are closed.