A Salt Lake City man has pleaded guilty to causing the death of his girlfriend's 1-year-old son nearly three years ago by dropping the child on his head.
Brian Luther Taylor, 26, was initially charged in 3rd District Court with first-degree felony murder for the December 2013 death of Xander Toliver.
Taylor pleaded guilty last month to a lesser count of second-degree felony child abuse homicide. He also pleaded no contest to second-degree felony child abuse.
He faces up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 5 by Judge James Blanch.
According to plea documents, Taylor admits that on Dec. 30, 2013, while acting with criminal negligence, he dropped the child, who landed on his head, resulting in fatal brain injury.
In pleading no contest to the child abuse count, Taylor acknowledged that the boy also suffered a bone fracture, but denies causing that injury. Taylor "nevertheless enters this plea ... in that he desire to accept the plea offered," court documents state.
On the day the child was fatally injured, his mother, Kaela Memmott left Xander in Taylor's care, according to charging documents. She was gone for a few minutes when she heard a noise, came back and saw Xander gasping for breath, charges state.
Taylor picked Xander up, but he was "floppy and unresponsive," the court documents read. Memmott immediately called 911.
Xander was hospitalized and put on life support at Primary Children's Hospital, where he died Jan. 2.
The state medical examiner performed an autopsy the next day and determined the child had died from intentionally inflicted head trauma, which would have occurred immediately before the baby lost consciousness, according to court documents.
Taylor has been held at the Salt Lake County jail in lieu of $1 million cash bail.
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