St. Charles County, Missouri - The Office of Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar announces that Robert Burnette, 22, of Wentzville, Mo, was sentenced today to serve 26 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, following his plea of guilty to Abuse and Neglect of a Child resulting in death.
Charges filed against Robert Burnette alleged that between October 18 and November 7, 2016, Burnette knowingly abused his son J. B., a minor child who was at the time approximately 6 weeks of age, causing J.B. serious physical injury. Prosecutors alleged that Burnette injured the infant by violently shaking him, slamming the infant into a bed face first, and shoving his fingers down the infant’s throat to stop him from crying. The infant later died as a result of the injuries sustained from his abuse. Burnette entered a guilty plea to the charges on August 27, 2018.
Burnette’s co-defendant Megan Hendricks, 22, of Wentzville, Mo, is set for sentencing on February 15, 2019.
Thirty years is the maximum sentence allowed by law. The sentence was imposed by the Honorable Jon Cunningham.
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