Dad finally pleads guilty in death of infant son (Boulder, Colorado)

After months of evasive denials, dad BENJAMIN KOLLER has pleaded guilty to biting, shaking, and suffocating his infant son. The baby died from complication related to his injuries 7 months ago. We've posted on this case several times before.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=138270&catid=188

Father pleads guilty in death of infant son
written by: Jeffrey Wolf written by Cheryl Preheim

BOULDER - A father from Lafayette pleaded guilty on Wednesday of biting, shaking and suffocating his infant son when he would not stop crying.

He was in court on Wednesday, seven months to the day his son, Jack, died of his injuries.

Twenty-seven-year-old Benjamin Koller was originally charged with first-degree murder.

Boulder County prosecutors dropped that charge in exchange for his guilty plea to child abuse resulting in death. Because the district attorney says this is an "aggravated" case, Koller faces 16 to 48 years in prison.

At a hearing, a detective testified Koller admitted he sometimes covered the baby's nose and mouth to make him stop crying and once dropped him onto a changing table.

9NEWS has followed this story since Jack was injured in July. We first met him when he was 7 weeks old. He was making some progress recovering from a skull fracture, significant brain injury, and many cuts and bruises.

Doctors allowed him to go home with his grandmother, Claudia Riggs.

"It would be my hope that this would never happen again to another child, somehow we are going to make really good things come out of this," she said.

Within a month, Jack took a turn for the worse. Doctors could not do anything to help him. He spent his last days at home with Riggs. She calls those moments with him precious, but heartbreaking.

Jack died on Oct. 5.

Riggs was in court when Koller pleaded guilty.

"I feel relieved. I feel assured that the judge will give the appropriate sentence. I'm looking forward to making a statement on Jack's behalf during the sentencing. I only wish he was still here to speak for himself," she said.

A spokesperson for the Boulder District Attorney's office, Catherine Olguin, said, "The district attorney feels that this is a tragic and difficult case. He is proud of the work that the office has done to reach what we believe is a just and appropriate disposition."