COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—A man charged with murder after his daughter’s body was found in a crawlspace at his former home has reached a plea deal.
Hanif Sims was set to go on trial Monday in Colorado Springs but instead entered a last-minute plea that will require him to serve between 27 and 40 years in prison.
The Gazette () reported that Sims pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death. The murder charge was dropped.
Contractors found the body of 7-year-old Genesis Sims in the vacant home in 2010.
Defense attorneys had sought to have the case dismissed because Sims never made a confession that detectives said he made. Last week, a judge refused to despite what he called “stunningly sloppy police work.”
Sims’ girlfriend earlier pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death.
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Information from: The Gazette,
