A Laurel County father has been found guilty in the death of his infant daughter.
After three days of testimony in the trial of Gary Nicely, the jury found him guilty of second-degree manslaughter (aka involuntary manslaughter) and third-degree criminal abuse in the September 2016 death of his seven-week old-daughter.
Nicely’s wife Jessica Nicely was found not guilty in the baby’s death.
At the time of the incident, Saint Joseph London Hospital staff contacted police after the couple brought the baby into the hospital with severe head trauma. The infant’s twin sister was also taken to the hospital with less serious injuries. Gary Nicely, 36, originally told hospital staff that he didn’t know how the children were injured.
The baby died two days after the abuse at University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital.
Jessica Nicely, 33, testified in the trial that she left the house for about 90 minutes, and when she returned she found the baby not breathing.
Second-degree manslaughter is a class D felony, punishable by five to 10 year in prison, while third-degree criminal abuse is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
