AIDEN CARO - 4 months (2010) - Shepherdsville KY

As his family wept a few feet behind him,
Samuel Harris plead guilty to manslaughter and criminal abuse in Bullitt
County Circuit Court. Both counts carry a total of 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors initially charged Harris with
murder after police say he threw 4-month-old Aiden Caro. The incident
happened in January 2010. Aiden died from severe head trauma and
battered baby syndrome. WAVE 3 was inside the courtroom as Harris also
pleaded guilty to criminal abuse in connection to Aiden's twin brother.

"It's probably a little more than we could've
gotten if we'd gone to trial," said Michael Mann, Bullitt County
Commonwealth's Attorney. "He threw the child toward a couch and the
child's head struck the couch and ultimately ended in his death."

Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Mann says amending the charge ensured more time in prison than a jury trial.

"A lot of these cases, even going through a
trial, what you end up with is a very high likelihood that a jury would
find the defendant guilty of that lesser offense than manslaughter," he
said.

"Based on my experience, there was a strong
likelihood it would result in a manslaughter conviction which would give
us the ability to get more time than I thought we could if we went on
through with the trial," Mann said.

The babies' mother, Courtney Caro, is serving 5 years for criminal abuse. Harris will be sentenced October 17.
http://www.wave3.com/story/15480491/bullitt-county-man-pleads-guilty-to-babys-death-accepts-plea-deal