Golden Valley man gets 5 years in son's death

A 24-year-old Golden Valley man has been sentenced to five years in prison for the suffocation death of his infant son.

Willie Ervin Franklin III declined to comment during the 10-minute sentencing session Monday in Hennepin County.

He pleaded guilty to felony manslaughter in the death of Willie Franklin IV, who died on Aug. 28, 2009.

At a plea hearing last week, Franklin admitted throwing a baby bottle at his son, mildly bruising him. Then he put the baby face down on a pillow and covered him with a blanket.

Franklin then went into another room, smoked marijuana, called an X-rated chat line and turned up the music. When he returned 30 minutes later, the baby wasn't breathing.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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