Schenectady man gets 22 years for death of girlfriend's son - NEWS10 ABC: Albany, New York News, Weather, Sports

33-year-old John Batease was sentenced to 22 years in state prison Monday after taking a plea deal of first-degree manslaughter in June, admitting to causing the fatal injuries that killed his ex-girlfriend's 20-month-old child Asiah Maxam in her Schenectady home while she was at work.

During Monday's sentencing, the mother of Asiah, Jamie Darrel, was tearful as she apologized to the court for not being there to protect her son, calling Batease a "horrible creature."

When Batease was given the opporunity to speak during his sentencing Monday, he did not apologize, rather began to point fingers. Even by the admission of his attorney, Batease showed no emotion or remorse for Asiah's death.

The judge said he hopes the 22 year sentence will teach Batease a lesson about remorse and taking responsibility for his actions.

Neighbors say the night of Asiah's death on June 19, 2011, Batease brought the boy out on the front lawn of the home saying he was unconscious. When police arrived, Batease told them Asiah fell out of the playpen and hit his head. An autopsy ruled the toddler had been killed as a result of blunt force trauma, and an investigation further led to Batease's arrest in September 2011.

At the time of the plea deal in June, Batease admitted to Judge Michael Coccoma that he attempted to throw the toddler into the air and dropped him, causing the injuries. However, according to the medical examiners report, the judge knew that wasn't the truth.

Batease eventually told the judge he purposely allowed the baby to fall to the floor, then threw him into the crib at least two times.