Dawson gets to 15 years to life for the death of his infant son

YOUNGSTOWN — Larry Dawson, 26, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison today in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court after a jury convicted him of murder last week for the death of his 15-month-old son, Rayvon Stewart.

The sentence handed down by Judge Shirley J. Christian is the only sentence she can impose.

Dawson was convicted after a four-day trial. An autopsy said Rayvon died from blunt force trauma to the back of the head in December of 2012.

Prosecutors charged Dawson because he was the last person to be caring for Rayvon. His defense was that Rayvon had suffered the injuries in another way, perhaps from a fall.