Man charged in death of Milwaukee girl with cerebral palsy gets 9 years in prison
The Milwaukee man charged in the death of a 14-year-old girl who had cerebral palsy was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Mark A. Sanders also sentenced Christopher R. Ward, 20, to six years of extended supervision in the death of Jada Wright, for whom Ward was a caretaker.
With credit for the time Ward spent in jail awaiting court hearings, he will spend 7½ years in prison.
Prosecutors in February 2018 charged Ward with first-degree reckless homicide, but in January he agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of neglecting a child, resulting in death.
An autopsy showed Jada had died of severe blunt force trauma. After Ward was arrested, he told police he had become frustrated with Jada when trying to feed her using a tube and punched her in the abdomen, according to a criminal complaint.
Jada’s parents are deceased and Ward became her legal guardian in September 2017.
While on extended supervision, Ward must have a full-time job but cannot work in the health care field, the judge ruled.
The charge to which Ward pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of 25 years.
Ashley Luthern contributed to this report.
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Contact Sophie Carson at (414) 223-5512 or scarson@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SCarson_News.