A 39-year-old White Bear Lake, Minnesota, man has been sentenced for second-degree murder in the 2024 death of his 3-month-old son, according to court records filed Monday.

A Ramsey County judge handed down a sentence of 10 years and 8 months, with credit for 490 days served, to the man. At least 2/3 of that sentence will be spent in prison. He pleaded guilty to the charge in October. 

According to the criminal complaint, the boy had been injured on Jan. 31, 2024, and died a month later. In June of that year, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office released an autopsy report that listed the baby's cause of death as "complications of bilateral subdural hemorrhages."

Child abuse specialists said the infant's injuries were "highly consistent" with abusive head trauma. Medical providers told investigators that his medical issues did not occur naturally and were "likely the result of outside force or trauma."

According to court documents, the father told the physician treating his son at the hospital that he may have "dropped or done something" to his child and that he had not been "in his right state of mind" the night before.

The baby's mother told police she had been concerned that her son's father had been drinking too much, the complaint said.

The father admitted to investigators that he drank more than he typically did the morning his son was injured, according to charges. He added that he had also smoked marijuana. The mother told investigators she confronted the father about their son's injuries and he admitted "he may have done something to their son but he did not remember because he had been drinking."

The man later expressed worry to police that he may have dropped or sat on his son and had anxiety that he may have harmed him because of his memory lapse, court documents said.

To report concerns about child abuse, neglect or sexual abuse, the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families recommends contacting the county or Tribal Nation where the child lives. You can find a list of Minnesota's county and tribal child protection agencies by clicking here. If there is an immediate concern of harm to the child, the agency recommends calling 911.