RIPLEY, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia man convicted in the death of his young daughter has been sentenced.
Jeffrey Hoskins, 29, of Ripley was sentenced Monday to 15 years to life for death of a child by child abuse, one year for involuntary manslaughter and one to five years for strangulation, the Jackson County Magistrate told news outlets. The sentences will run consecutively and he will receive credit for 1,287 days served, officials said.
Jurors convicted Hoskins last year in the death the girl. He was accused of choking his then-6-month-old daughter, Riana, in October 2018, authorities have said. The girl stayed alive in a medically induced coma and was deaf and blind due to her injuries, officials said when Hoskins was indicted. He was indicted in January 2020 after the girl died, more than a year after she was hospitalized for her injuries.
Prosecutors had sought a conviction on a first-degree murder charge, but defense lawyer Mark Plants argued Hoskins was guilty only of involuntary manslaughter.
