Dad convicted of 2nd-degree murder; placed 3-month-old son over shotgun and pulled the trigger (Utica, New York)

We've posted on dad ADAM THEALL before, who shot his 3-month-old son to death in a police standoff. I think the surviving family members pretty much echo my sentiments on the matter.

http://www.uticaod.com/features/x535931978/Theall-due-to-be-sentenced-today-in-baby-s-killing

Adam Theall sentenced to 25-to-life in baby’s killing

By ROCCO LaDUCA
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Nov 18, 2010 @ 11:27 AM
Last update Nov 18, 2010 @ 12:56 PM


UTICA — A 21-year-old Blossvale man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison this morning for killing his baby son with a shotgun in an enraged attempt to lash out at his former girlfriend.

During Theall’s tearful guilty plea to second-degree murder in late September, Theall said it was never his intent to kill his 3-month-old baby, Eithen, when he placed the child over a shotgun and pulled the trigger outside the home of Theall’s parents June 22.

Today, however, Theall barely shed a tear and instead lashed out at the family of Eithen's mother, Jamie Baker, with vulgarities as they called him a "monster" for killing an innocent child and beating Baker.

"I hope you rot in Hell, that's all I got to say," said Terrence Corbett, close relative of Baker's family.

In response, Theall turned and calmly uttered an expletive to Corbett.

As Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara stood to address Theall, he noted Theall's hostile attitude by saying, "I guess we're seeing the real Adam Theall here today."

McNamara said he almost laughed when Theall cried like a "sniveling baby" during his guilty plea several weeks ago. He then wondered what Eithen was thinking as Theall placed the baby over his shotgun as a "pawn in a game" against the infant's mother.

"Kiss my ***," Theall coldly said to McNamara.

"I will try to do that for the rest of my life, trust me," McNamara replied, stating that he would do whatever is in his power to make sure Theall is never released from prison.

Theall replied by saying that he has already accepted his fate, which may include death at the hands of prisoners who loathe "baby-killers."

"I don't care if I ever get the f*** out," Theall said. "They're probably going to kill me anyway."

As McNamara finished by hoping that Eithen's death haunts Theall the rest of his life, Theall replied, "It does."

Theall told Judge Michael L. Dwyer that he was sorry for what he did, although he attempted to explain that he never would have killed Eithen if he wasn't high on drugs at the time.

"I was a good father and a good dad to my kids," Theall said as tears began to reveal his first hint of emotion during Thursday's proceeding. "I did everything for my family," including walking two hours to Walmart to buy food for them.

Dwyer said he didn't believe a word Theall was saying, and suggested that Theall's unacceptable excuses were simply Theall's "defense mechanism" for living with he did.

"This is the way you thought was best to get back at Jamie Baker," Dwyer said. "You have to try to admit it to yourself."

As Theall exited the courtroom, he told his mother sitting in the courtroom that he loved her before muttering "scumbags" as he passed Baker's family.

"Baby killer! Baby killer!", one of the family members shouted back.

Theall previously said he had been upset that morning at Eithen's mother because she was seeing another man, prosecutors said. Initially, Theall was threatening to kill himself, but then he turned his threats toward Eithen if police showed up at the residence.

When state troopers arrived moments later, Theall fired the last round of his shotgun and killed Eithen in front of the responding trooper, prosecutors said. When Theall refused to put down his weapon and aimed it at the police, three state troopers opened fired on Theall.

Theall survived more than a dozen gunshot wounds to his body and face, but his own disbelief at the horrible act he had committed has left him wishing he was killed that day and seeking to be severely punished, his attorney has said.

Eithen’s mother, Baker, has not made any public statements since her baby’s death, and she was not present at Theall's sentencing.

Theall had been sending Baker letters from the Oneida County jail in an attempt to manipulate her, and Dwyer issued an order of protection for Theall to no longer have any contact with Baker or their other son, Adam Theall Jr.

"That's his true colors. That's Adam Theall," Baker's mother, Sandy Baker, said after hearing Theall's hurtful remakrs. "He's going to be dancing with Satan soon, and more power to him."

The Baker family already was overcome with emotion several weeks ago in a second tragedy when they watched another man, Bobby Ray Hunt, get sentenced to prison Oct. 29 for killing Baker’s brother, Jadreck Baker, with a shotgun in Rome.

Hunt was sentenced to 20 years after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the May 2 shooting incident.

While Sandra Baker said she was able to forgive Hunt for what he did, she said she will never have forgiveness in her heart for Theall.

"It's over," she said, with a tiny photograph of Eithen pinned to her jacket. "It's time to get our lives together and go on."