Man charged in nephew’s death
By MARY ANN GREIER
POSTED: May 15, 2008
LISBON— An East Palestine man who had been caring for his 15-month-old nephew after being released from prison has now been charged with causing the child’s death.
Joshua Courtney, 22, whose last known address was listed as 664 E. Sixth St., was served Tuesday with a secret indictment for involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and endangering children, a second-degree felony.
According to the indictment, Landon Courtney died on Dec. 16, 2007 as a result of the defendant committing or attempting to commit an endangering children offense. The endangering children count accused the defendant of recklessly abusing the child.
Columbiana County Assistant Prosecutor Tim McNicol said Joshua Courtney was alone at his residence with his nephew when the child stopped breathing and he dialed 911 for help. The child died later at Akron Children’s Hospital. McNicol said the child had suffered injuries to the brain and head and eyes consistent with being shaken and struck.
He said the injury was described by the coroner’s office as blunt force trauma to the head, such as from being struck by or against a blunt object numerous times.
The child’s mother, Heather Courtney, was the defendant’s sister. McNicol said she has other children and had her brother caring for Landon. Joshua Courtney was living with his girlfriend.
If convicted, he could face a maximum 10 years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter charge and five years for the endangering children charge, although McNicol said the sentences would likely be combined for a total of 10 years since endangering children is an element of the manslaughter charge.
He noted that Courtney was just paroled from prison about a month before the death occurred. Court documents said he was sentenced to two years in prison on May 22, 2006 for robbery, a second-degree felony, related to the assault and robbery of a pizza delivery driver in Salem on Nov. 16, 2005. Courtney was originally indicted for aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, for the incident on West 13th Street.
He and his co-defendants robbed the pizza delivery man of $40, hit him in the head, knocked him to the ground and kicked him, causing a broken nose and orbital fracture, documents said.
He was admitted to prison on June 2, 2006 and received credit for 196 days served in the county jail, with a prison release date set for Nov. 17, 2007.
Mary Ann Greier can be reached at mgreier@salemnews.net
