A former Camp Lejeune has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing his two-year-old stepson.
The Kinston Free Press reports Iran Terrell, 25, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and felony child abuse. A judge sentenced the Kinston man to 20 years for the murder charge and 73 to 97 months for the child abuse. Terrell will be eligible for parole in 2028.
The autopsy showed Jailyn McCoy had been abused about a month before his 2008 death. The child died from repeated beating and a head injury.
The former Lance Corporal had been discharged from the Marine Corps as a result of the charges.
The assistant district attorney said the 2-year-old urinated on himself, then Terrell struck the child with a belt up to 12 times. One of the beatings caused the child to hit his head on a bed post, the paper reports.
McCoy's mother, Ashley Stallings Terrell is currently behind bars awaiting trial for her role in the child's death.
