POINT MARION (KDKA) — Police say a 4-year-old boy was beaten so badly he died from his injuries.

On Thursday, the victim’s mother and her boyfriend were in court.

Patrick Haney, 27, is now headed to trial on a charge of criminal homicide. He’s accused in the beating death of 4-year-old Trenton St. Clair in September.

“Long way to go yet,” Brent Peck, Haney’s defense attorney said. “There’s a lot of facts out there that we’re just learning about and going to learn about through the procedure.”

The child’s mother, 27-year-old Heather Forsythe who was dating Haney at the time, waived her preliminary hearing on the charge of endangering the welfare of children.

The alleged abuse happened at a home in Point Marion where the couple was living.

A doctor from Ruby Memorial Hospital testified that Trenton St. Clair had likely been dead for some time before his mother and her boyfriend took him to the hospital. She said the child’s injuries were not consistent with falling down the steps and believes Trenton suffered a traumatic death.

The district attorney told KDKA-TV he is now reviewing evidence to decide if he will seek the death penalty in this case.

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