A Jefferson County jury today found Lysander Harvey — who admitted “boxing” with and “whooping” his girlfriend’s 3-year-old son — guilty of first-degree murder in the child’s death.
Elijah Carpenter never woke up after his mother, Kristina Carpenter, also convicted in the boy’s death, .
Doctors found bleeding in the child’s brain, a healing injury to his spleen, rib fractures and multiple bruises.
The verdict, following a week-long trial, means the 22-year-old Lysander will serve life in prison with no possibility of parole.
Elijah’s sister, 5 at the time of his death, testified at trial that she was made to stand in the corner of the family’s Lakewood motel room holding a phone book as punishment while Harvey beat her brother with a belt and punched the child in the chest repeatedly.
Harvey said he was punishing Elijah for a potty training accident.
Carpenter, not wanting to witness the beating, left the motel room and sent texts to Harvey asking him to stop but never re-entered the room.
Carpenter in February was sentenced to 19 years in prison following her conviction for child abuse resulting in death.
Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 or jfender@denverpost.com
