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Father Guilty in Death of Baby Son

WILKES-BARRE — A father charged in the death of his baby son has been found guilty by a jury in Luzerne County. Corey Eckrote of Nanticoke was found guilt...
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WILKES-BARRE -- A father charged in the death of his baby son has been found guilty by a jury in Luzerne County.

Corey Eckrote of Nanticoke was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in connection with the death of his infant son Jaxon.

The jury deliberated for less than an hour on Wednesday afternoon.

It all has to do with last year's death of Eckrote's 2-month-old son. Prosecutors said Jaxon Eckrote died when he suffocated in the cushions of a recliner where the baby's mother, Tracey Gonda, held Jaxon and fell asleep. Gonda was a drug addict who wasn't supposed to ever be left alone with the child.

She pleaded guilty to corruption of minors, a lesser offense in September and testified against Eckrote.

In closing arguments, Corey Eckrote's defense told the jury Eckrote shouldn't bear most of the responsibility, saying the baby's death, "was a freak accident and the results are tragic. And it would compound that tragedy if you found Corey guilty."

But the prosecution argued that Eckrote is on trial to get justice for Jaxon Eckrote, who died at just 84 days old. It was a death prosecutors believe could have been avoided if Corey Eckrote didn't leave the baby alone with Tracey Gonda.

"Although he wasn't directly responsible for the actual suffocation of the child, he was the direct cause, because he put everything in motion that caused the death of the child," said Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Jenny Roberts.

Eckrote's sentencing is scheduled for next month.

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