An Idaho man, who was found guilty of first-degree murder following his son’s fatal brain injury, has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility for parole after a minimum of 25 years, the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release.
Ada County District Judge James S. Cawthon on Monday, May 22 ordered Thomas Rowley, now 25-years-old, to serve the life sentence for the brutal June 2020 murder of 4-month-old Milo Rowley, authorities announced in a press release.
Authorities said that on June 20, 2020, police found that Rowley had "severely shaken" his 4-month-old son before dropping him face first in his crib, causing him to suffer a fatal brain injury. His father did not take the infant to a hospital until four hours following the incident.
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Once he was taken to St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center the child was "unresponsive and not breathing, and was found to have a brain injury." The infant died in the hospital, and Boise, Idaho police arrested Rowley.
Police say that Rowley had allegedly hit and shook Milo on several occasions prior to his death. In September 2020, Rowley pleaded not guilty however, in March 2023, a jury convicted Rowley of first-degree murder.
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"I recognize no sentence handed down today can ease the unbearable loss to Milo’s family. On behalf of my office, I extend our sincerest condolences to Milo’s mother and family," said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts. "The abuse and homicide of a child is heartbreaking, and I want to acknowledge the tireless efforts by all who worked on this case, from my trial team, the medical experts, to the Boise Police Detectives whose dedication and hard work on this homicide allowed my office to successfully prosecute and serve justice in this case."