Tyler Sullivan, 31, was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in state prison on Tuesday, Aug. 27 on murder and child endangerment charges by Common Pleas Judge Gary B. Gilman.
Before being sentenced, Sullivan gave a lengthy, tearful statement, admitting “how guilty and ashamed I am," according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.
The baby’s mother and the baby’s aunt both submitted victim impact statements that were read during Tuesday’s hearing, the DA said.
The mother said she was too traumatized and was never able to go back to the apartment she shared with Sullivan and their child. She said she continues to have nightmares about that day. “My baby deserved to live a long, happy, wonderful life,” she said.
The baby’s aunt, in her victim impact statement, said the baby’s killing left a “hole in our hearts that can never be filled. We will miss him forever.”
Officers with the Bristol Borough Police Department were dispatched at 11:35 p.m. on May 24, 2023, to 1038 Radcliffe Street for a 4-month-old child in cardiac arrest. When officers arrived, the baby was not breathing and was cold to the touch. Police officers administered CPR, and the baby was transported to Lower Bucks Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 12:01 a.m.
A doctor examined the baby, noting the baby suffered several injuries, including contusions, bruising and abrasions throughout his body. The doctor noted that the injuries were indicative of a battered child.
The investigation concluded that Sullivan violently shook the baby on at least two occasions on May 24, 2023, and at least six additional times in the six weeks prior.
“There is no denying that this is a tragedy from start to finish,” Judge Gilman said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Kutztown and receive free news updates.