Rigby man sentenced to 3 months in jail and probation for killing infant son
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RIGBY — A man who pleaded guilty to causing the death of a three-month-old infant has been sentenced to 90 days in county jail.
Dillon Hunter Butikofer, 20, pleaded guilty to a felony for voluntary manslaughter, according to court records. In addition to the three-month prison sentence, he received 10 years of felony probation with a 180-day discretionary prison sentence from District Judge Stevan Thompson.
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Thompson decided on this sentence following recommendation from the Idaho Department of Correction, prosecuting attorney Mark Taylor told EastIdahoNews.com via email.
Butikofer was arrested in October after police and EMTs found the baby, Ashtonn Butikofer, unresponsive inside of his home.
Ashtonn was transported from Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center to Primary Children’s Hospital, in Salt Lake City, Utah by air ambulance. The baby died two days later.
Doctors at EIRMC told police that the baby was suffering from brain bleeding. They also reported finding a fractured clavicle and a previous brain injury — both injuries were reportedly in the process of healing, showing they were not part of the event that led to the child’s eventual death.
The doctors told officers that the child’s injuries were consistent with child abuse, adding that they may have been caused by the child being shaken or slammed into something.
Butikofer reached a plea agreement with the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office in December. In accordance with the agreement, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter in exchange for a felony charge of injury to a child being dismissed.
Because he received credit for 77 days times served, Butikofer will spend 13 days in county jail before he is placed on probation. The probation sentence carries with it a two- to 10-year prison sentence — should he violate his probation.
He was also ordered to pay $865.50 in fees and fines.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly named the judge in this case.