A man who has been sitting on death row for the last 16 years will soon be released after pleading guilty in the 2006 death of a 3-year-old boy.Lamont Hunter pleaded guilty Thursday to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment, Hunter's attorney confirmed. The judge sentenced him to 17 and a half years time served. Hunter will be released on Thursday, his attorney confirmed.The plea comes a day after a judge granted bail while Hunter awaited a new trial. The plea comes as a surprising update in the case. Hunter was accused of murdering and raping his girlfriend's son, 3-year-old Trustin Blue, in 2006.He was convicted the following year and sentenced to death, despite maintaining his innocence, saying the child fell down the stairs.Then, last month, Hunter was granted a new trial after federal public defenders working with attorney Al Gerhardstein's firm uncovered new evidence.The new evidence resulted in the deputy coroner who originally ruled the case as a homicide changing her opinion to an undetermined death.New evidence includes a photo of the stairwell that Hunter claimed Trustin fell down.A doctor testified Trustin's injuries could have been from a fall down the steps.As for the theory that the toddler was raped with a sharp object, the defense said other new evidence shows injuries could have been accidentally caused by hospital staff trying to take Trustin's temperature. Hunter's attorney Marcus Sidoti read a letter in court Wednesday from Trustin's mother showing support for Hunter."I have prayed for years for truth to come out. Nothing made sense to me at the time of my son Trustin's death." Sidoti said reading the statement. "We as a family have suffered tremendously, especially Lamont. My heart grieves for him and the six children that have been robbed of their dad for so many years. Time is unforgivable. It could never go backward, only forward. I was 30 years old when this all happened. Our daughter was eight months old. She is now 18 years old and about to graduate from high school. She deserves her dad."Sidoti went on to read, "We can never get back the years we have lost. The damage has been done. People's lives matter, and we are people. Our lives matter. Our kids' lives matter. Seventeen years of our lives have already been stolen."
A man who has been sitting on death row for the last 16 years will soon be released after pleading guilty in the 2006 death of a 3-year-old boy.
Lamont Hunter pleaded guilty Thursday to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment, Hunter's attorney confirmed. The judge sentenced him to 17 and a half years time served. Hunter will be released on Thursday, his attorney confirmed.
The plea comes a day after a judge granted bail while Hunter awaited a new trial. The plea comes as a surprising update in the case.
Hunter was accused of murdering and raping his girlfriend's son, 3-year-old Trustin Blue, in 2006.
He was convicted the following year and sentenced to death, despite maintaining his innocence, saying the child fell down the stairs.
Then, last month, Hunter was granted a new trial after federal public defenders working with attorney Al Gerhardstein's firm uncovered new evidence.
The new evidence resulted in the deputy coroner who originally ruled the case as a homicide changing her opinion to an undetermined death.
New evidence includes a photo of the stairwell that Hunter claimed Trustin fell down.
A doctor testified Trustin's injuries could have been from a fall down the steps.
As for the theory that the toddler was raped with a sharp object, the defense said other new evidence shows injuries could have been accidentally caused by hospital staff trying to take Trustin's temperature.
Hunter's attorney Marcus Sidoti read a letter in court Wednesday from Trustin's mother showing support for Hunter.
"I have prayed for years for truth to come out. Nothing made sense to me at the time of my son Trustin's death." Sidoti said reading the statement. "We as a family have suffered tremendously, especially Lamont. My heart grieves for him and the six children that have been robbed of their dad for so many years. Time is unforgivable. It could never go backward, only forward. I was 30 years old when this all happened. Our daughter was eight months old. She is now 18 years old and about to graduate from high school. She deserves her dad."
Sidoti went on to read, "We can never get back the years we have lost. The damage has been done. People's lives matter, and we are people. Our lives matter. Our kids' lives matter. Seventeen years of our lives have already been stolen."
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