Uncle pleads guilty in toddler’s beating death

STAFF REPORT

LISBON — An East Palestine man faces up to nine years in prison for the beating death of his 15-month-old nephew.

Joshua M. Courtney, 22, pleaded guilty Monday in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to felony charges of involuntary manslaughter and endangering children.

Police accused him of causing serious harm to and causing the death of Landon Courtney on Dec. 16, 2007, in East Palestine.

Tim McNicol, the assistant county prosecutor who handles child abuse cases, said the victim was Courtney’s nephew.

McNicol said the child had injuries consistent with being shaken violently and blunt force trauma to the head. McNicol said the child’s head had been struck many times.

Courtney told Judge C. Ashley Pike that was not exactly what happened, but he declined to say more, and entered his guilty plea. Sentencing will be at a later date.

The child was taken to Akron Children’s Hospital, and the Summit County coroner ruled the death a homicide.

Courtney has served time in prison before. He was arrested for a robbery in 2005 and sentenced to two years in prison. Courtney and two other men lured a pizza delivery man to a Salem address, beat him and took his money. Courtney got out of prison on that charge a month before the child’s death.