When his team fell behind by just two points, something inside him snapped. In a split second, he threw the infant against the wall, and then onto a bed. White later told investigators that he could hear the disturbing sound of the child’s body hitting the drywall.
The baby’s mother returned just moments later and was horrified to find her son struggling to breathe. He was making odd, gurgling noises, and his arm was twitching uncontrollably. Despite White’s demands to give the baby back, the mother rushed out of the house, clutching her son in desperation. Once at the hospital, medical staff discovered the true extent of the infant’s injuries, which were catastrophic. A fractured skull, a broken collarbone, and ribs that had been broken at different times showed signs of previous abuse. This wasn’t an isolated incident, and the baby had been subjected to repeated harm.
In the investigation that followed, White first gave three different stories about what had happened. Eventually, after significant pressure, he admitted the truth of his actions. On December 30, White pleaded guilty to two counts of harming a child, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. In addition, the judge imposed a lifelong ban on White ever using physical force against a child again. As for the baby, his future remains uncertain. He survived, but the injuries left lasting effects: he cannot eat on his own and struggles with ongoing vision problems. White expressed through his lawyer that he never meant to cause harm, but it was too late. The damage had already been done, and the child’s life was forever altered before he could even walk.
