Wichita father found guilty of 8-year-old daughter’s murder
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Wichita man who was arrested after his daughter’s death last year has been found guilty of her murder.
Thomas R. Gatewood, 52, pleaded no contest to first-degree murder and eight other counts, including kidnapping, aggravated battery, and aggravated endangering of a child.
The victim, 8-year-old Jeanetta Gatewood, died after being found unresponsive in the family home in the 600 block of N. Oliver on May 8, 2023. After an investigation, police arrested Thomas in late June.
They alleged that he killed Jeanetta and injured and tortured another one of his children.
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Before Thomas entered his plea on Thursday, the judge asked prosecutors to share their evidence against the father.
Alice Osburn, one of the prosecuting attorneys, said the autopsy showed that Jeanetta had been repeatedly hit and stomped on, causing her heart to give out. The autopsy showed other injuries that were in the process of healing, including a broken leg, broken ribs, and head wounds. Prosecutors said Jeanetta was underweight, had multiple bruises and scars, and there was evidence that she had been whipped.
Osburn said the other child was taken to the hospital, and an X-ray showed a broken pelvis, broken spine, and broken ribs that were in the process of healing.
She said Thomas did not take the children to get medical care for any of those injuries. Instead, they said he kept them confined to the home with threats and beatings. Neighbors never saw children at the house. The prosecution said Thomas kept them confined to hide the evidence of abuse.
Osburn said Thomas tried to get the surviving child to confess to the murder and threatened the child not to tell police what really happened, saying, “If you ever tell, I will beat you up.”
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Judge Jeffrey Goering asked Thomas if he understood he would be found guilty if he entered a plea of no contest. Thomas said yes.
The judge will sentence him on April 25.
This is not Thomas’ first run-in with the law. The Associated Press said Gatewood and his wife were investigated in the June 2006 death of an infant in Minneapolis. A court affidavit said a detective investigated the couple after a child who died of meningitis was found to have bruises, skull fractures and rib injuries. A spokesman for the county attorney’s office said no charges were filed because of insufficient evidence.
The Associated Press said that in 2009, officials took a newborn baby and a toddler from the family’s home in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. A court affidavit said the toddler was unable to walk and talk and had bruises all over her body.
Court records show that Thomas was sentenced to a year in jail, probation and court costs in the Bartlesville case. Records show that his wife was sentenced to 180 days in jail after being convicted of enabling child abuse by injury.
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