An emotional day of testimony in an Eastern Kentucky murder trial ended with a guilty verdict this week.
Garrett Taylor was convicted of manslaughter in the death of his infant daughter. Prosecutors argued Taylor shook the girl violently, but Taylor testified that he never meant to hurt his baby.
Garrett Taylor says his daughter, Alena, would often stop breathing and he would shake her to get her to start again. That's what he says he had to do on January 24th, 2006 when he claims Alena choked on her food.
"I shook her like this. I would never do anything to hurt my little girl," Taylor said.
But a state medical examiner that performed the autopsy on 6 week old Alena says her broken arms, legs, multiple blunt force injuries, and head trauma that eventually killed her days later were from violent shaking.
"It would be clear to an average person that it would be harmful," said State Medical Examiner Jennifer Schott.
But Taylor says he panicked and didn't know what to do.
The jury spared Garrett Taylor of a murder conviction and found him guilty of the lesser 2nd degree manslaughter charge.
"This was a tragic circumstance, 42 day old baby. I'm pleased they held Mr. Taylor accountable," said Commonwealth's Attorney Karen Greene Blondell.
The jury recommended a ten year sentence, but since he's already spent a year and a half in jail, he could be eligible for parole in six months.
A judge will sentence Taylor August sixth.
(Reprinted with permission from WYMT-TV, http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews)
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