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42 Years for Hot Car Tragedy: Dad Sought Bar After Son's Death
23 Jul
Summary
- A father received a 42-year sentence for his son's death in a hot car.
- The father visited a bar and got a haircut while his child died in the vehicle.
- The judge expressed hope the father is haunted by his son's memory.
A father, Scott Gardner, has been sentenced to 42 years in prison after accepting a plea deal for the death of his toddler son, Sebastian. Judge Kathryn Weston handed down the sentence, expressing a wish that Gardner be haunted by his son's memory every waking moment.
Deputies reported that Gardner left Sebastian in a truck for nearly four hours last June. During this time, Gardner reportedly got a haircut and then spent three hours at a bar. Medical personnel estimated Sebastian's body temperature reached 111 degrees before Gardner finally called 911 upon returning home.
The plea deal resulted in the charge being downgraded from first-degree murder to second-degree murder. Sebastian's mother, Lorrena Dague, stated she forgives Gardner, emphasizing her refusal to be consumed by bitterness over the tragic choice.
Judge Weston remarked that the sentence prevents the trauma of a jury trial for all involved, noting Gardner was fortunate the state offered a plea. She expressed that life in prison would have been the appropriate sentence.
