DOVER — A former Dover Air Force Base airman will be sentenced on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in connection with the 2012 death of a toddler in his care.
Justin K. Corbett
Justin K. Corbett, 28, of Magnolia, was convicted of criminally negligent homicide on July 28 and is could face up to eight years in prison when sentenced by Judge Robert B. Young in Kent County Superior Court.
Evan J. Dudley, 21 months old, died four days after suffering severe injuries at Corbett’s residence on Nov. 3, 2012.
Injuries included seven separate wounds under the scalp and injuries to the top of his head, jaw, nose, cheek, forehead, thigh and elbow, retinal hemorrhages to both eyes, and one detached retina.
The toddler’s mother, Nicole “Nikki” Dudley, an Air Force staff sergeant, was deployed in Qatar at the time of the incident.
Corbett’s wife was designated as a secondary caregiver for the child in her absence.
After the jury’s conviction, a presentence-investigation was ordered and Corbett was released on his own recognizance.
Corbett received an honorable discharge from the Air Force after the incident.
Attorney William Deely represented Corbett at the trial lasting nearly two weeks, while Deputy Attorney Generals’ Josette Manning and Annmarie Puit prosecuted the state’s case.