DE QUEEN — Authorities say a man charged in the beating death of his newborn son has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Vonderrick Smith entered the plea Monday in De Queen.
The Texarkana Gazette reported that Smith was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Smith was charged in the February 2011 death of his son, 1-month-old Kason Smith. Authorities say the baby suffered multiple internal injuries and died at a Dallas hospital.
An autopsy found Kason died of blunt-force trauma and had ruptured blood vessels behind his eyes.
Prosecutor Bryan Chesshir says the baby’s relatives supported the plea deal. Smith’s attorney, Darrell F. Brown Jr. , was not immediately available for comment.