The man who punched a father convicted of killing his own child was sentenced to six months in prison and faces additional jail time, supporters said.
Kwin Boes, 23, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in July for killing his infant son, Parker, in May 2018, in addition to five years of probation, according to KCBD.
“It’s an infant, and it’s hard to deal with that you just have to cope with it as best you can,” said Chief Deputy Prosecutor Abigail Brown-Cox. “I can’t imagine what they’ve been going through really, without going through it myself.”
His case was set to go to trial but he reached a plea agreement with prosecutors that saw two level one felony charges dismissed in exchange for the defendant agreeing to plead guilty to a level two domestic battery charge.
Boes initially faced up to 40 years in prison before the plea deal.
“We feel pretty good about the process, I think it was a good outcome for all involved at this point,” said Brown-Cox.
As Boes left the courtroom, an uncle of the deceased infant, Jeremiah “Matt” Hartley, approached him and punched him. Hartley was arrested and was facing a battery charge, law enforcement officers said.
Supporters said in an update on a GoFundMe fundraising page aimed at raising funds for Hartley that he was sentenced to 179 days in prison for contempt and that he “still has a pending battery charge.”
Kwin Boes was sentenced to 25 years for the death of his 3-month-old son. As he left court, the child’s uncle handed down his own punishment. | STORY: https://t.co/NmLgVRSO0p pic.twitter.com/JlNh8PoHqV
— 10TV.com (@10TV) July 4, 2019
“I am hoping we can raise enough money to get this reduced. In the meantime, Matt still has bills to pay. Personally, I am so sick about reading stories about injured and murdered children,” wrote Sandy Friedrich, a supporter manning the page.
She said on July 7 that there was enough money to hire a lawyer to appeal the 179-day sentence.
“Today, if the jail approves the visit, I am meeting with Matt at the Jail to let him choose which attorney he wants to retain,” she wrote.
“On Monday I will withdraw the money from the go fund me and send it directly to the attorney he chooses.”
She said previously that she had found one attorney who would represent Hartley for a flat fee of $3,500 while others wanted up to $6,000.
The fundraiser had raised $4,165 as of July 8.
Baby’s Mother Speaks Out
The mother of the deceased baby spoke out after the plea agreement was made public.
“I’m glad that we’re finally to the end, you know it’s going to be over with,” Jamie Hartley told WEVV. “I guess I don’t think any time that he gets is going to be enough. I think he should be gone forever, you know my son will never be back.”
According to the broadcaster, Boes claimed that Parker fell off of a couch and hit his head but medical reports presented information that undercut the claim, including an autopsy that showed he died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Prior to the sentencing, she added: “Just seeing him, period, it makes me sick that we’re breathing the same air.”
