LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — A Michigan man was sentenced Friday to 65 years in prison on murder and other charges in the Indiana beating death of his girlfriend's 3-year-old son.
Tippecanoe County Superior Court Judge Randy Williams called Jermaine Garnes "the worst of the worst" before giving the West Bloomfield, Michigan, man, the maximum prison sentence, WLFI-TV reported.
A jury had convicted Garnes in January of murder, neglect resulting in death, aggravated battery resulting in death and battery on a person under 14 resulting in death.
Garnes and his girlfriend, Crystal Lynn Cox, were both charged in connection with 3-year-old Zeus Cox's killing. The boy was found dead in July 2021 inside a Lafayette home with bruises on his chest, stomach and other areas of his body.
An autopsy revealed he died from multiple blunt force trauma injuries to his abdomen that ruptured his intestines and caused rib fractures and internal bleeding.
Tippecanoe County Prosecutor Pat Harrington called it one of the worst murder cases he's ever seen.
"This child was three years old, was autistic, was non-verbal, could not cry out for help," Harrington said. "I don't know how much more evil you could have in a case."
Cox was found guilty last May of murder, neglect resulting in death, aggravated battery resulting in death, and battery on a person under 14 resulting in death and was sentenced to 53 years in prison.
