Columbia man pleads guilty for deaths of girlfriend, unborn baby
A man pleaded guilty on Tuesday for his role in the deaths of his girlfriend and her unborn child.
Jeremiah Lynne admitted to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of leaving the scene of an accident. Judge Christine Carpenter sentenced him to 24 years in prison, giving him the maximum sentences allowed under each of the three charges.
Lynne drove the car that crashed at Garth Avenue and Ash Street on April 1 in Columbia, killing Skyler Littleton. She was four months pregnant at the time, and died at a local hospital. Columbia police had tried to pull over Lynne prior to the crash on Garth Ave. for driving erratically, but Lynne sped away. He crashed into a car turning onto Ash Street and veered into a pole.
Boone County prosecutors originally charged Lynne with two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths. Prosecutor Dan Knight told ABC 17 News the deal was a good one for the state, given concerns over a trial. The plea gets Lynne to admit his role in the situation and allows for a sentence he felt was appropriate, Knight said.
“Now we’ve got some finality to this,” Knight said.
ABC 17 News left a message of Lynne’s attorney, Gerald Jackson, on Tuesday afternoon.
