A Kentucky man will now serve 20 years in prison for allegedly killing his infant son after losing a video game.
Anthony Trice pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the May 2019 incident in which he fatally punched his 1-month-old son due to frustration over losing the video game. According to an arrest citation obtained by the Louisville Courier-Journal, he was home alone watching his son as he played the game. Upon losing, he threw the controller and punched the newborn.
While trying to soothe the baby by picking him up, the 32-year-old reportedly dropped him as he went into the kitchen to prepare a bottle. He left the baby unattended in a seated position as he used the restroom, only to find the infant “in distress” upon his return. He then called 911, leading to his arrest the following day for first-degree criminal abuse of a child.
The child was taken to Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville, where he later died. Initially, the man told the child’s mother and her family that the baby needed to go to the hospital after choking on milk. However, a further investigation revealed Trice’s foul play.
A GoFundMe reportedly made by the child’s grandmother disclosed the child was just over one month old. The woman, who identified as Tonjia M. Howlett, says that Trice “severely [beat]” her grandchild. She also confirmed the deceased boy’s name as De’Anthony Lee Trice.
“None of us saw this coming, and my grandson De’Anthony Lee Trice was only 36 days old when his life was taken from his father,” she wrote in the page’s description.
Following the young child’s death, Trice’s charges upgraded to murder. While Trice initially pleaded not guilty, he later agreed to charges of manslaughter. He entered the Alford plea, used in cases where a defendant doesn’t admit guilt but understands there is enough evidence to convict him. The acceptance of the plea led to his conviction.
The grandmother told WLKY at the time of the incident that she “wouldn’t have ever thought” a tragedy like this would occur.
“I’m mad,” she expressed. “I wouldn’t have ever thought this would happen to our family.”
A Jefferson Circuit Court sentenced Trice to two decades behind bars on Dec. 19.
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