Man charged in toddler’s death

STAFF REPORT

LISBON — An East Palestine man has been indicted on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 15-month-old boy.

Joshua M. Courtney, 22, was also charged with endangering a child. Both charges are felonies.

He is accused of causing serious harm to and causing the death of Landon Courtney on Dec. 16, 2007.

Tim McNicol, the assistant Columbiana County prosecutor who handles child abuse cases, said the boy was Courtney’s nephew.

McNicol said the child had “injuries consistent with being shaken and blunt force trauma to the head.”

He added there were “multiple blows.”

The child died at Akron Children’s Hospital, and the Summit County coroner ruled the death a homicide.

Courtney could face up to 10 years in prison on the involuntary manslaughter charge.

Courtney was arrested for a robbery in 2005 and was sentenced to two years in prison. McNicol said he and others lured a pizza delivery man to a Salem address, beat him and took his money.

McNicol said Courtney got out of prison a month before the child’s death.