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Father pleads guilty to killing infant

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By Nancy Bowman, Contributing Writer 5:12 PM Monday, December 6, 2010

TROY – Jason Durig pleaded guilty Monday to murder and child endangering in the July death of his 8-month-old son, Caleb, who investigators said died of multiple blunt-force trauma.

Durig, 29, answered questions from Judge Jeffrey Welbaum during a hearing in Miami County Common Pleas Court, but made no further comment.

He will be sentenced Jan. 24. Prosecutors and defense lawyer Robert Huffman Jr. said there was no plea bargain as Durig pleaded as charged.

Durig faces a mandatory sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

His wife, Tara Durig, 28, is scheduled to go on trial next week on charges of felony permitting child abuse and child endangering. She has pleaded not guilty.

County Prosecutor Gary Nasal declined to comment on the Monday plea, saying he would wait to speak until sentencing. He mentioned Tara Durig’s trial as among reasons he was withholding comment.

Troy police were called to the Durig’s apartment on Troy’s northeast side the morning of July 26. Tara Durig told emergency dispatchers Caleb was not breathing. Police said in reports that the child had ligature marks around his neck and bite marks on his face and leg.

Jason Durig was convicted and sent to prison in 2007 for felony child endangering in the scalding of the Durigs’ one-month-old son while giving the infant a bath.

Prior to Monday’s pleas, Welbaum granted a defense motion to only sentence Jason Durig on the murder conviction. Huffman asked for the ruling, noting that the evidence for the child endangering charge was similar to that for murder meaning, legally, Durig could not be sentenced on both charges.

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