Michigan man sentenced to life in prison for killing his 19-month-old son
An Upper Peninsula man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his 19-month-old son.
Federal prosecutors say Eugene Walter-George Rantanen, 37, of L'Anse, was caring for his son, Carter, at their home on the L'Anse Reservation of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community on Feb. 19, 2024, when he called 911, saying his son was not breathing.
Despite medical intervention involving three separate hospitals, the boy died as a result of his head injuries on Feb. 24, 2024.
A medical examiner found that the boy suffered from blunt-force trauma and ruled his manner of death as a homicide.
During Rantanen's trial, federal prosecutors say several medical professionals testified that Rantanen's son suffered from "abusive assault and inflicted trauma." Prosecutors argued that Rantanen was the lone person with "means and opportunity to commit the murder."
Rantanen was convicted in May of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse and sentenced on Monday.
"This toddler's life was tragic. His birth mother had arranged for him to be adopted by a loving family, but Rantanen insisted on having custody of Carter and all evidence suggests that, instead of loving and doting on and caring for Carter, Rantanen subjected him to months of abuse and neglect," said U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey in a statement. "Although this sentence will not bring this little boy back, we hope it provides some measure of justice and comfort to those who loved Carter, including his birth mother, adoptive parents, and family. My office will work tirelessly, even in difficult cases, to see that offenders are held accountable and justice is done."
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Police, the Village of L'Anse Police, the Baraga County Sheriff's Office and the Michigan State Police assisted in the investigation.
Rantanen's case is part of the Department of Justice's work to address violence against American Indian and Alaska Native peoples through the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons investigation efforts.