Tulsa Couple Found Guilty Of Child Neglect In Death Of 2-Year-Old Boy

<p>After hours of deliberation Monday evening, a Tulsa County jury found&nbsp;a mother and her boyfriend guilty of child neglect in the death of a two-year-old boy.</p>

Monday, April 24th 2017, 6:23 pm

By: News On 6


After hours of deliberation Monday evening, a Tulsa County jury found a mother and her boyfriend guilty of child neglect in the death of a two-year-old boy.

The jury, however, acquitted Branden Taylor, 31, on a child abuse murder charge and found the boy's mother, Tina Morgan, 26, not guilty of permitting child abuse.

"It says to me that the jury understood that the injuries that were inflicted on Michael were so bad and so grievous and the fact that they let him die alone and the fact that they didn't even care to check on him or even notice that he was dead for 24 hours they need to be held accountable for that." said Tulsa County Assistant DA Sarah McAmis.

Michael Rigney died from injuries in February 2016; prosecutors argued Taylor killed the toddler by kicking him in the head. The toddler had brain injuries and multiple bruises on his head.

4/17/2017 Related Story: Trial Starts In Death Of 2-Year-Old Tulsa Boy

During their investigation, police said the boy was dead for about 20 hours before anyone called for help, but Taylor's attorney created enough doubt arguing the timeline didn't add up.

Throughout the trial, both parties tried to shift blame and point fingers at the other.  Tina Morgan's attorney argued she wasn't home at the time.

The jury is recommending a 30 year sentence for both Taylor and Morgan. 

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