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Noncommissioned officer found guilty in death of child
Posted 6/5/2012 Updated 6/6/2012
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by 35th Fighter Wing Legal Office
6/5/2012 - MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Staff Sgt. Keith L. Lovely, 19th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, formerly assigned to the 35th Logistics Readiness Squadron, was found guilty at a general court-martial held at Misawa Air Base, Japan, May 17, 2012 of causing the death of his 1-year-old son in 2010.
A panel of officer and enlisted court members served as the jury for the one-week trial and found Lovely guilty of causing rotational force injuries and blunt force trauma to Landon Lovely's head and of failing to seek medical attention after his son suffered those injuries, resulting in his death.
Lovely was sentenced to a dishonorable discharge, seven years confinement and a reduction to E-1. His confinement will be spent in a high-security federal penitentiary.
The Misawa Office of Special Investigations began investigating Lovely after his son's autopsy revealed that he died as a result of non-accidental trauma consistent with child abuse. The medical examiner that performed the autopsy discovered bleeding in several portions of the child's skull and brain.
"In several interviews with OSI conducted after his son's death, Lovely provided inconsistent explanations as to how Landon received multiple skull and brain injuries," said Lt. Col. Suzette Seuell, 35th Fighter Wing Staff Judge Advocate. "OSI ruled out other suspects and forwarded the evidence to the Little Rock Air Force Base legal office for action."
The court was convened at Misawa Air Base because it is Lovely's former base assignment and also where the death occurred. This was the first time the base held a general court-martial since 2010.
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