40-Year Sentence Upheld In Toddler's Suffocation Death

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 31-year-old Duluth man's 40-year prison sentence for suffocating his daughter has been upheld, according to the St. Louis County Attorney's Office.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed Christopher Dennis Peterson's sentence in a decision released Monday. The court ruled that the district court was not incorrect when it identified three aggravating factors as proper grounds for the longer sentence received by Peterson.

Peterson pleaded guilty in October 2014 to the July 5, 2014 death of his daughter, Layna. Peterson said he would frequently become frustrated with a Layna's crying and would stop her by placing his hand over her mouth and pinching her nostrils closed.

Related: Duluth Man Pleads Guilty To Murdering 13-Month-Old Daughter

Layna was found unresponsive by her mother shortly before noon on July 6, 2014. The child was pronounced dead when police arrived.

For his crime, the guideline sentence was from a range of 17 years to 24 years, but Peterson admitted that his crime included aggravating factors: the victim was particularly vulnerable, the offense occurred in the victim's zone of privacy and Peterson treated the girl with particular cruelty.

The district court also found that Peterson's "position of authority, superiority, confidence or trust" as a fourth aggravating factor supporting a longer sentence.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.