Charges upgraded for man accused of killing 5-year-old daughter
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BATON ROUGE — A Baton Rouge man pleaded guilty to manslaughter and a cruelty to juvenile charge after prosecutors said they wanted to show jurors more than two dozen autopsy photographs detailing injuries his daughter suffered while being disciplined.
Aaron Hawkins, 27, was sentenced Monday to 40 years on each charge. District Judge Brad Myers ordered that the sentences be served back-to-back, for a total of 80 years.
Hawkins sought help April 6, 2022, and said his daughter Summer was unresponsive after a fall. Emergency room doctors found severe bruising and trauma not consistent with an accidental fall, investigators said.
A coroner found injuries to the girl's buttocks, upper legs, hips, back and forearms. Internal injuries included a brain bleed, lacerated liver, internal bleeding, a rib fracture, a dislocated hip, facial swelling and scalp hemorrhaging.
Prosecutors upgraded charges from second- to first-degree murder, but allowed Hawkins to reach a deal this week.
A trial had been set to start Monday. Last month, prosecutors asked Myers for permission to show jurors 25 autopsy photos depicting the girl's injuries.