Jackson, MS - A Tylertown man has been sentenced to a total of 40 years behind bars for Felony Child Abuse and Manslaughter involving a child, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today.
James Dustin Lowery, 28, of Tylertown appeared in Walthall County Circuit Court Monday and pleaded guilty one count of felony child abuse and one count of manslaughter.  As a result, Circuit Court Judge Michael M. Taylor sentenced the defendant to 40 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections for felony child abuse, 20 years suspended for manslaughter, with both counts to run consecutive.  Lowery must also pay $1,000 to the Mississippi Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund, a $1,000 fine and serve five years post release supervision.
Lowery was taking care of his girlfriend’s 16-month-old daughter when she became unresponsive and was eventually taken to the emergency room at the Walthall County General Hospital.  The coroner listed the child’s cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head.  Lowery gave conflicting statements as to what happened including telling authorities that she fell and hit her head on a bench, that she fell from a chair and hit her head on the cement and that she simply fell unresponsive as the two watched television.
“We thank Judge Taylor for accepting the State’s recommendation of a lengthy sentence,” said Attorney General Hood.
The Attorney General’s Office was appointed to the case by the Walthall County Circuit Court after local prosecutor’s recused themselves.  The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Larry Baker and investigated by Jerry Martin of the Walthall County Sheriff’s Office and Jerry Spell of the Attorney General’s Public Integrity Division.