CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Convicted child killer Chad Chadwick was sentenced to 12 1/2 to 40 years in state prison last week in front of President Judge James Arner at the Clarion County Courthouse.

Chadwick entered a guilty plea June 10 to third-degree murder.

Chadwick, who originally faced the death penalty, has been imprisoned in the Clarion County Jail on $500,000.00 bail since January 2014 after he was arrested in Ohio in connection with the death of nine-month-old Zeke Hamilton nearly three years ago.

Chadwick, 24, and his girlfriend, Kelly Hemminger, Zeke’s aunt, were on a camping trip on private property in a very remote part of Washington Township, Clarion County, during Labor Day weekend of 2013. Hemminger and Chadwick were babysitting for Zeke and his two siblings. The children’s parents live in Geneva, Ohio, but were not present on the camping trip.

According to Clarion County District Attorney Mark Aaron, on the morning of August 31, Zeke was left solely in the care of Chadwick. The baby began to cry, and Chadwick gave him a bottle, but that did not ease his crying. Chadwick then slammed the child down on the hard ground resulting in the skull fracture that caused his death.

Marienville-based State Police said Zeke (pictured on left), the youngest of the three children, was found in a car seat by the grandfather who was picking up the children. Zeke had suffered injuries to his head, chest, and arms and was taken to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was in a coma for 11 weeks before dying on November 15, 2013.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office ruled the death a non-accidental blunt force trauma to the head.

Hemminger originally faced similar charges as Chadwick; however, all but two were dismissed. A criminal conference with Aaron is scheduled in August. She faces one felony charge for Endangering the Welfare of Children-Prevent/Interfere With Making Report and one misdemeanor charge for Endangering the Welfare of Children, Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense.