The body, authorities said, was marked with bruises, scratches and abrasions.
When the 911 call came in, Brandon Walter Lee Newberry was screaming.
"It's my fault, it's my fault," he cried, according to documents filed in US District Court in Montana. Newberry told police he had been "roughhousing" with his girlfriend's 2-year-old son before the toddler became ill and, days later, stopped breathing and died.
Authorities said Newberry beat the boy, tearing a hole in his intestines.
Newberry, a 22-year-old from Evergreen, Mont., was sentenced this week to 40 years in prison after he took a plea for mitigated deliberate homicide in the child's death, according to the Flathead Beacon.
In early 2015, Newberry had been babysitting 2-year-old Forrest Groshelle while the toddler's mother, Takara Juntunen, was at work, according to the Beacon.
Juntunen told authorities that her child had been sick for days - reeling from a fever and vomiting, according to court records.
His body, authorities said, was marked with bruises, scratches and abrasions; Newberry told Juntunen that the toddler had fallen.
On Feb. 17, 2015, deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff's Office were called to the home about an unresponsive child.
The autopsy showed that Forrest died from blunt force trauma to the abdomen, which caused perienteritis, a laceration in the small intestine, according to records.
The boy's aunt, Kayla Johnson, testified in court Tuesday that in the three months Newberry had been dating the boy's mother, Johnson had seen him act out - locking the boy in a room one time, and sitting on him another time, according to the Flathead Beacon.
"You are a vicious monster, and for the sake of your own son and all the other children, I hope you never get out of prison, Brandon," she said, according to the newspaper. "If it were up to me, you would get the death sentence because that is the sentence you gave to Forrest."
Newberry was charged last year with deliberate homicide and initially pleaded not guilty, opting to go to trial.
If convicted, he would have faced up to 100 years in prison.
Prosecutors were waiting for evidence - hair samples, a phone and drug paraphernalia found in the home - to be examined, pushing Newberry's trial to March of this year, the Beacon reported at the time.
In August, Newberry penned a letter to the judge, claiming his attorneys would not grant his request for a bond hearing or interview witnesses he thought could help him during trial.
"My family is being victimized over this case," Newberry wrote in a two-page letter, according to the Beacon. "Threats have been made, cars have been vandalized and stolen from [sic] my family is living in fear."
Earlier this year, Newberry opted to enter an "Alford plea," a plea in criminal court in which the accused does not admit to the crime but admits that the prosecution has enough evidence to convince a jury to convict.
His sentencing hearing was Tuesday.
"I am more than sorry for what happened," he said in court, according to the Beacon, "and I want the family to know that this will be with me for the rest of my life."
Newberry's attorneys painted a portrait of a pained young man who had been battling social anxiety, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - symptoms from a chaotic childhood.
"The combination of his depression, his social anxiety and his untreated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder created a psychological tsunami," Andrea Weisman, a psychologist, said in court. "He could not form rational or intelligent decisions at the time of the incident."
His aunt, Teresa Newberry, said her nephew had spiraled - turning to drugs and never quite breaking free.
"Brandon's upbringing was less than ideal," she said. "Forrest is not the only one who was failed."
According to the Daily Inter Lake, she testified that her nephew's life "is worthwhile" and that "he is not an evil-spirited person."
Johnson, the child's aunt, said Newberry's mental health problems couldn't possibly justify Forrest's death.
"You have to have it in you to kill a child," Johnson said, according to the Daily Inter Lake.
"The grieving will never truly end and nothing will ever be the same," she added.
Emotions were high as Forrest's family took the stand.
Cindy Juntunen, the toddler's grandmother, sobbed as she lashed out at Newberry for what he'd done, the Daily Inter Lake reported.
"What you have taken from us is so devastating," she said. "You took my daughter's laughter, smile, sparkle, joy... I just don't understand why anyone would do this to such a precious child."
"All Forrest ever wanted was to be loved," she added, according to the Beacon, "and you betrayed him by killing him."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
"It's my fault, it's my fault," he cried, according to documents filed in US District Court in Montana. Newberry told police he had been "roughhousing" with his girlfriend's 2-year-old son before the toddler became ill and, days later, stopped breathing and died.
Authorities said Newberry beat the boy, tearing a hole in his intestines.
Newberry, a 22-year-old from Evergreen, Mont., was sentenced this week to 40 years in prison after he took a plea for mitigated deliberate homicide in the child's death, according to the Flathead Beacon.
In early 2015, Newberry had been babysitting 2-year-old Forrest Groshelle while the toddler's mother, Takara Juntunen, was at work, according to the Beacon.
Juntunen told authorities that her child had been sick for days - reeling from a fever and vomiting, according to court records.
His body, authorities said, was marked with bruises, scratches and abrasions; Newberry told Juntunen that the toddler had fallen.
On Feb. 17, 2015, deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff's Office were called to the home about an unresponsive child.
The autopsy showed that Forrest died from blunt force trauma to the abdomen, which caused perienteritis, a laceration in the small intestine, according to records.
The boy's aunt, Kayla Johnson, testified in court Tuesday that in the three months Newberry had been dating the boy's mother, Johnson had seen him act out - locking the boy in a room one time, and sitting on him another time, according to the Flathead Beacon.
"You are a vicious monster, and for the sake of your own son and all the other children, I hope you never get out of prison, Brandon," she said, according to the newspaper. "If it were up to me, you would get the death sentence because that is the sentence you gave to Forrest."
Newberry was charged last year with deliberate homicide and initially pleaded not guilty, opting to go to trial.
If convicted, he would have faced up to 100 years in prison.
Prosecutors were waiting for evidence - hair samples, a phone and drug paraphernalia found in the home - to be examined, pushing Newberry's trial to March of this year, the Beacon reported at the time.
In August, Newberry penned a letter to the judge, claiming his attorneys would not grant his request for a bond hearing or interview witnesses he thought could help him during trial.
"My family is being victimized over this case," Newberry wrote in a two-page letter, according to the Beacon. "Threats have been made, cars have been vandalized and stolen from [sic] my family is living in fear."
Earlier this year, Newberry opted to enter an "Alford plea," a plea in criminal court in which the accused does not admit to the crime but admits that the prosecution has enough evidence to convince a jury to convict.
His sentencing hearing was Tuesday.
"I am more than sorry for what happened," he said in court, according to the Beacon, "and I want the family to know that this will be with me for the rest of my life."
Newberry's attorneys painted a portrait of a pained young man who had been battling social anxiety, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - symptoms from a chaotic childhood.
"The combination of his depression, his social anxiety and his untreated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder created a psychological tsunami," Andrea Weisman, a psychologist, said in court. "He could not form rational or intelligent decisions at the time of the incident."
His aunt, Teresa Newberry, said her nephew had spiraled - turning to drugs and never quite breaking free.
"Brandon's upbringing was less than ideal," she said. "Forrest is not the only one who was failed."
According to the Daily Inter Lake, she testified that her nephew's life "is worthwhile" and that "he is not an evil-spirited person."
Johnson, the child's aunt, said Newberry's mental health problems couldn't possibly justify Forrest's death.
"You have to have it in you to kill a child," Johnson said, according to the Daily Inter Lake.
"The grieving will never truly end and nothing will ever be the same," she added.
Emotions were high as Forrest's family took the stand.
Cindy Juntunen, the toddler's grandmother, sobbed as she lashed out at Newberry for what he'd done, the Daily Inter Lake reported.
"What you have taken from us is so devastating," she said. "You took my daughter's laughter, smile, sparkle, joy... I just don't understand why anyone would do this to such a precious child."
"All Forrest ever wanted was to be loved," she added, according to the Beacon, "and you betrayed him by killing him."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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