WABASH COUNTY, IN- This from 21alivenews.com: A North Manchester man has learned his sentence in his 4-year-old’s shooting death.
Nathan Stanley was charged with neglect after his son died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His wife, Mikayla Stanley, was also charged in the boy’s death and is set to go to trial next month.
Nathan Stanley took a plea deal in the case, pleading guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death. In exchange, the agreement called for him to spend no more than 25 years in prison.
A family member was watching the couple’s two young boys when the eldest son died, court documents say. The woman was changing the younger boy’s diaper while the 4-year-old played with items on a bedside table.
She heard him say, “Oh, a flashlight,” and turned to see what he had when she heard a gun go off, court records show. Life-saving measures were attempted at the scene, but the boy died from a gunshot wound to the torso.
His death was ruled a homicide.
The Stanleys arrived back at the home at the same time, with Mikayla Stanley asking if the incident involved her husband’s guns, saying he was “always leaving them out,” court records show. Nathan Stanley told investigators he believed he had three handguns, a shotgun and possibly a .22 rifle in his bedroom, all outside of a safe.
He said he took several guns, including the Canik 9mm believed to have killed his son, shooting five days before and that he did not secure them in cases afterward, despite having a safety plan with the Department of Child Services for guns.
Mikayla Stanley told police she would move her husband’s guns when she saw them out and that she was “always getting onto Nathan about locking his guns up,” court documents say, adding that he frequently left guns on the kitchen counter.
During sentencing, Judge Robert McCallen noted that Nathan Stanley had no prior record, but that he was warned to put weapons out of children’s reach.
He was sentenced to 23 years in prison, with the judge saying he would consider a modification if prosecutors agreed after the father completed a program determined by the Indiana Department of Correction.