A St. Joseph man has been sentenced to life in prison for fatally beating a one-year-old boy to death in an ill-fated attempt to get the baby to stop crying. After a bench trial in April, Judge Randall Jackson found Roy Miller guilty of child abuse resulting in death. On Wednesday Judge Jackson ordered Miller to serve a life term.
After a trial, Judge Jackson ruled that Mr Miller recklessly caused serious physical injury by hitting the child in an attempt to get the child to stop crying. Young Carter Lizar died after an incident inside a mobile home on Monterey Street in August of 2015.
Carter’s mother, Sasha Lizar pleaded guilty last year to endangering the welfare of a child and was sentenced to serve seven years in prison. Carter died at Children’s Mercy Hospital a few days later on his first birthday.
Before being sentenced, Mr. Miller and his public defender asserted that the defendant did nothing on purpose to harm the youngster , that it was “a terrible accident.”
Miller took the witness stand, saying he “did not him him, ” “did not beat his head on anything,” and that he “did nothing to harm that child on purpose.”
Defense lawyer H. Mitchel Jenkins asked the judge to impose the minimum, ten-year prison sentence. Jenkins said his client believed he was trying to help by watching the child. He pointed out that Mr. Miller is 61 years old and in failing health.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kate Schaefer reminded the judge that the defendant agreed to babysit while the child’s mother went to Kansas City to party. When she returned, she brought methamphetamine and the pair took the drug. Then, Ms Schaefer says the mother left again.
Schaefer said in his effort to get the baby to stop crying, Mr Miller “shut this baby up permanently,” and “deserves no leniency.” Schafer said Miller deserved the maximum term of life in prison.
Judge Jackson agreed.
“If anyone has any notions that drug crimes are victimless crimes, this case should dispel that notion,” Judge Jackson said. “While under the influence of methamphetamine, you killed a helpless baby. There is only one appropriate sentence.”