1999-12-23
| - 1995-10-13 |
|---|
| The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday denied the appeal of an Amarillo man sentenced to 99 years in prison for the 1995 murder of his son. |
A 108th District Court jury convicted Eddie Alberto Castillo Sr. of murdering his 2-year-old son, Eddie Jr..
According to court records, Castillo was babysitting the 2 year old an an infant on October 13, 1995 while his wife was out with her father. When she returned home, Christina Castillo found Eddie Jr in his bed, very ill and stiff, the records state.
Physicians determined that the child suffered a brain injury.
Eddie Castillo claimed the injuries were caused when his son fell out of bed. The father also claimed he accidentally fell on the boy
But doctors who testified at the 1996 trial said the boy probably had been hit on the head.
IN his appeal, Eddie Castillo argued that District Judge Abe Lopez erred by not instructing the jury that it could consider lesser offenses of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
He also contended the judge erred when he allowed the prosecutor to identify himself as representing the victim.