Indiana Co. Man Pleads Guilty In Toddler’s Death

November 1, 2012 12:41 PM

(Photo Credit: KDKA)

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A man from Indiana County, who is accused of suffocating and killing his girlfriend’s toddler, entered a plea in court this morning.

Walking out of the Indiana County Courthouse, 28-year-old Shawn Anderson-Holmes knew he’d be in jail for a long time.

“The maximum is 10 years imprisonment,” Indiana County District Attorney Pat Dougherty said.

Anderson-Holmes pleaded guilty in the death of 17-month-old Colby Jozefczyk. In addition to the maximum of 10 years behind bars, he could also be fined up to $25,000.

“He entered a plea to involuntary manslaughter,” Dougherty said,

After the baby’s death, investigators said the child and his older sister lived a tortured life of abuse, which included beatings with a hairbrush at the hands of their own mother, Kayla Lyons.

“She’s charged with assaulting both of her children. Her daughter, Ava, who I believe is 3 now, and also assaulting Colby. Now, we don’t believe that the assaults on Colby were tied to his death,” Dougherty said.

During today’s hearing, Anderson-Holmes said nothing other than “yes” and “no” to questions.

Meanwhile, Dougherty said he believes he is regretful for his actions.

“After weighing all the evidence we felt that this was an appropriate plea,” Dougherty said, “It appeared that a weight has essentially been lifted off of this young man, so I do believe it’s a genuine remorse. It’s clearly a tragedy. A child is gone. You talk about a young man who has his whole life in front of him. Senseless. It’s still a senseless tragedy that we have to deal with.”

Anderson-Holmes will face formal sentencing on Jan. 28, 2013.