Dad who threw 3-year-old son off bridge sentenced to 50 years in prison (Baltimore, Maryland)

Dad STEPHEN TODD NELSON has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for the murder of his son. We have posted on this case before. Once again, we have a case where an unstable, abusive father was able to get visitation with a preschooler, who was subsenquently thrown off a bridge like so much trash.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41319797/ns/local_news-baltimore_md/

Man Who Threw Son Off Bridge Sentenced
Stephen Nelson To Serve 50-Year Prison Term
updated 1/28/2011 8:47:03 PM ET 2011-01-29T01:47:03
- BALTIMORE — WBALTV.com

The father who admitted to throwing his 3-year-old son over the Key Bridge to his death in 2008 was sentenced to a lengthy prison term on Friday.

Stephen Todd Nelson was sentenced by a judge to 50 years in prison.

Nelson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death in November.

He admitted to throwing his 3-year-old son, Turner, off the Key Bridge into the Patapsco River in February 2008. The boy's body was found five months later.

Nelson also tried to commit suicide by drinking a concoction of household cleaners.

Prosecutors said Turner wasn't the target and that Nelson was angry at the boy's mother, who had left the relationship.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Turner's mother said what Nelson did was unforgivable, cruel and selfish.

Court documents showed that Nelson claimed he couldn't allow the boy's mom to raise their son with another man. In a hospital after the incident, he said demons made him hurt his son.

But Judge Charles Peters said there's no one else to blame but the defendant.

During the sentencing, one of Nelson's sisters asked for mercy, saying he didn't deserve to spend the rest of his life in prison. She said something just went wrong. Another sister said he's not a monster and not vengeful. She said Nelson is still hurting because he also lost his son.

In a letter read by Nelson's attorney, the defendant apologized for the pain he caused and said he couldn't give an answer as to why he did it.

The judge said he would recommend that Nelson be sent to a program at the Patuxent Institution.