DONIPHAN, Mo. -- A man from Eminence received a 15-year prison sentence on Friday for the death of this girlfriend’s 5-year-old son in September 2007. Richard Holland entered an Alford plea in Ripley County Circuit Court.
Jeremiah Hughes died several days after he was injured from being shaken and thrown violently. Holland told investigators that the boy fell and hit his head but medical examiners said his injuries were more extensive than that.
Holland’s case was moved from Eminence to Doniphan to try to ensure a fair outcome. An Alford plea means a defendant doesn’t plead guilty but concedes a prosecutor has enough evidence to convict him.
