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By Cristina Janney
Newton Kansan
The mother of a toddler who was murdered on March 27 in North Newton was sentenced to prison Thursday in Harvey County District Court.
Katheryn Nycole Dale, 21, was sentenced to 34 months in prison on a charge of child abuse and seven months on a charge of aggravated endangerment of a child.
District Judge Joe Dickinson ordered the sentences to run consecutively.
Dale was charged in connection with the death of her 19-month-old son, Vincent Hill.
Harvey County District Attorney David Yoder said Dale left Vincent alone with her boyfriend, Chad Carr, on the day of his death. Carr has been charged with murder and is awaiting trial.
“We are not alleging that Katheryn Nycole Dale caused Vincent Hill’s death. But it is the state’s position that she did knowingly did leave the child in a situation in which he lost his life by leaving him with a person, Chad Carr, who has been charged with murder, knowing he had perpetrated violence on him in the past.”
Yoder described Hill’s death as tragic but said Dale had the responsibility to protect her child from Carr since she knew Carr had stuffed cloth in his mouth to keep him quiet and had seen him shove and grab the boy.
The coroner testified in Carr’s preliminary hearing Hill died of a brain injury likely caused by suffocation. He also reported the boy had suffered other blunt force trauma.
During the investigation, Dale told investigators she jabbed a fork in her son’s mouth after he refused to eat.
During the autopsy, the corner found cuts in the boy’s mouth.
She also admitted to grabbing Vincent by the chin hard enough to leave bruises and slapping him in the face.
Dale had two juvenile convictions but no adult convictions. That made her eligible for probation.
Dale’s attorney said Dale was attending counseling and an anger management class.
He said Dale admitted to injuring Vincent’s mouth after extensive interrogation immediately following Vincent’s death and had been under duress.
Like Vincent, Barker said Dale was a victim in the case.
“I don’t know how much more punishment you could give a person than to have their baby murdered,” Barker said. “I don’t know what more a court could do to deter one than that.”
Yoder countered that Vincent’s death was a part of a pattern of abuse from which his mother should have protected him.
“This didn’t happen suddenly on a Saturday afternoon. This boy had been systematically abused over time,” he said.
Dickinson opted to sentence Dale to the maximum sentence on both charges.
“This is a horrible situation,” he said. “You were supposed to protect and take care of this helpless child and keep him safe. You have to have accountability in this case. You knew the child was the potential victim of acts of violence, and you left him in that environment.”
After the sentencing, Yoder said Hill’s death is tragic, but he supports the judge’s decision.
“This is a terrible situation. It is never good when a mother is sent to prison when her son is brutally murdered,” Yoder said. “I think justice has been done, and she received proper consequences for not protecting a child who most needed it.”
Carr’s case has not yet been set for trial, but Yoder said he intends to call Dale as a witness. He said he hopes Dale will cooperate in the conviction of the man who allegedly murdered her son.
By Cristina Janney
Newton Kansan
The mother of a toddler who was murdered on March 27 in North Newton was sentenced to prison Thursday in Harvey County District Court.
Katheryn Nycole Dale, 21, was sentenced to 34 months in prison on a charge of child abuse and seven months on a charge of aggravated endangerment of a child.
District Judge Joe Dickinson ordered the sentences to run consecutively.
Dale was charged in connection with the death of her 19-month-old son, Vincent Hill.
Harvey County District Attorney David Yoder said Dale left Vincent alone with her boyfriend, Chad Carr, on the day of his death. Carr has been charged with murder and is awaiting trial.
“We are not alleging that Katheryn Nycole Dale caused Vincent Hill’s death. But it is the state’s position that she did knowingly did leave the child in a situation in which he lost his life by leaving him with a person, Chad Carr, who has been charged with murder, knowing he had perpetrated violence on him in the past.”
Yoder described Hill’s death as tragic but said Dale had the responsibility to protect her child from Carr since she knew Carr had stuffed cloth in his mouth to keep him quiet and had seen him shove and grab the boy.
The coroner testified in Carr’s preliminary hearing Hill died of a brain injury likely caused by suffocation. He also reported the boy had suffered other blunt force trauma.
During the investigation, Dale told investigators she jabbed a fork in her son’s mouth after he refused to eat.
During the autopsy, the corner found cuts in the boy’s mouth.
She also admitted to grabbing Vincent by the chin hard enough to leave bruises and slapping him in the face.
Dale had two juvenile convictions but no adult convictions. That made her eligible for probation.
Dale’s attorney said Dale was attending counseling and an anger management class.
He said Dale admitted to injuring Vincent’s mouth after extensive interrogation immediately following Vincent’s death and had been under duress.
Like Vincent, Barker said Dale was a victim in the case.
“I don’t know how much more punishment you could give a person than to have their baby murdered,” Barker said. “I don’t know what more a court could do to deter one than that.”
Yoder countered that Vincent’s death was a part of a pattern of abuse from which his mother should have protected him.
“This didn’t happen suddenly on a Saturday afternoon. This boy had been systematically abused over time,” he said.
Dickinson opted to sentence Dale to the maximum sentence on both charges.
“This is a horrible situation,” he said. “You were supposed to protect and take care of this helpless child and keep him safe. You have to have accountability in this case. You knew the child was the potential victim of acts of violence, and you left him in that environment.”
After the sentencing, Yoder said Hill’s death is tragic, but he supports the judge’s decision.
“This is a terrible situation. It is never good when a mother is sent to prison when her son is brutally murdered,” Yoder said. “I think justice has been done, and she received proper consequences for not protecting a child who most needed it.”
Carr’s case has not yet been set for trial, but Yoder said he intends to call Dale as a witness. He said he hopes Dale will cooperate in the conviction of the man who allegedly murdered her son.
