Niles man gets three years in death of toddler

By Tim Yovich

A coroner’s ruling put doubt in the murder charge against Jamie A. Champlin.

WARREN — A Niles man is sentenced to three years in prison in the death of a 14-month-old girl, but her mother isn’t satisfied.

Jamie A. Champlin, 28, was sentenced Tuesday to the prison term by Judge Andrew Logan of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court in the Sept. 20, 2007, death of Destiny Nicole Seybert.

After sentencing, Destiny’s mother, Jennifer Kuhn of Niles, said she isn’t satisfied with the sentence, noting she favored a stiffer sentence.

“We were concerned that he would get credit for time served” in the county jail, said Emily Kuhn, also of Niles, Destiny’s grandmother. That would have meant that Champlin would have served less time in prison.

It ended up he didn’t get any credit but avoided a much longer term: Champlin was originally indicted on charges of murder and child endangering. If convicted on those charges, he could have been sentenced to life in prison.

Emily Kuhn said that she and her daughter were dissatisfied with the plea agreement in the case but are glad the ordeal is over.

Champlin was Jennifer Kuhn’s live-in boyfriend at the Royal Mall Apartments in Niles at the time of Destiny’s death. The girl had been originally taken to Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital and then to Akron Children’s Hospital, where she died two days later.

Niles police said at the time that the toddler had suffered injuries consistent with physical abuse and a beating.

The Summit County coroner’s office, however, ruled that Champlin might not have been the sole reason for the death. The coroner ruled that the girl may have died from “second impact syndrome” as the result of falling and hitting her head.

Champlin admitted picking the girl up by her neck and moving her, according to Mike Bennett, an assistant county prosecutor.

In sentencing Champlin, Judge Logan pointed out the girl’s young age and that she died was a consideration in the prison term. He noted that it was “unfortunate” that there wasn’t “hard evidence” against him.

He could have been sentenced to five years in prison for child endangering.

Champlin’s attorney, Sarah Kovoor, asked the judge to place him on probation. She told the judge that he has never been charged with a felony before this, pleaded guilty to a bill of information and has no history of violence.

After sentencing, Champlin, who was in street clothes because he had been free on bond, was handcuffed and led to the county jail.

After Champlin serves his prison term, he will serve three years on probation

yovich@vindy.com