A Milwaukee father will spend the rest of his life in prison in the shooting of his 4-year-old son last summer.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Borowski handed down the sentence for Ralph Taylor Jr. on April 23, court records show.
A jury convicted Taylor, 34, in March of first-degree intentional homicide while using a dangerous weapon and of being a felon in possession of firearm in the July 10 death of his son, Ralph Taylor III.
Casandra Taylor, the child’s mother, also was charged in connection with her son’s death. She faces charges of neglecting a child in which the consequence is death, as a party to a crime, and straw purchasing a firearm.
A plea hearing and sentencing for her is scheduled for June 22, court records show.
What happened to Ralph Taylor III?
Prosecutors argued during his trial that Ralph Taylor Jr. was intoxicated and issuing threats to family members on the day the child was found dead in a bedroom of their home on the 9100 block of North 75th Street.
Investigators say the child was shot and killed following a fight between his parents. Authorities believe Taylor grabbed his 4-year-old son by the arm, took him to the upstairs bedroom and shot him.
Chris Ramirez covers courts for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at caramirez@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee dad gets life for killing 4-year-old son
Reporting by Chris Ramirez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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