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Peoria man pleads guilty in toddler's beating death

Posted October 09, 2015 7:00 am

The Associated Press

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - A central Illinois man has admitted to fatally beating his girlfriend's 19-month-old son last December.

Twenty-year-old Deon Wells of Peoria pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree murder in the death of Koffi Harris. He initially faced up to 100 years in prison, but a 40-year cap will be placed on his sentence in an agreement with prosecutors.

The (Peoria) Journal Star (http://bit.ly/1Oprngn ) reports that the boy suffered multiple injuries, including head trauma, while in Wells' care in December 2014. He was brought unconscious to a hospital, where he was pronounced brain dead the following day and taken off of life support.

Prosecutors said Wells hit the child and slammed his head into a hardwood floor.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 4.

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Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com

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