MARION, NC — A McDowell County jury found a Marion man guilty of murdering his girlfriend's 20-month-old child in 2012 Friday.
Channel 9 news partner Marion McDowell News reports 33-year-old Christopher Michael Edwards was convicted of first-degree murder and felony child abuse. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
RELATED: Man faces murder charges related to death of girlfriend's child
On Oct. 30, 2012, Lily Anne Kerr's mother told police Edwards was babysitting when she found her daughter unconscious. The toddler was taken to the hospital where doctors later pronounced her brain dead. They said she had suffered head trauma.
During Edwards' three-week trial, his defense attorney suggested he suffers from PTSD and inflicted harm on the child in an unconscious state where he did not have control.
Click here to read more about the trial from the Marion McDowell news
Edwards has already appealed his conviction.
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