Pa. man sentenced to 21 to 42 years in death of 4-month-old girl


PITTSBURGH (AP) — A western Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to 21 to 42 years in the death of his 4-month-old daughter.

Joseph Gazzam, 31, of Mount Lebanon was convicted of third-degree murder in a degree-of-guilt hearing that followed his guilty plea to a general count of homicide.

Judge Randal Todd of Allegheny County Common Pleas Court sentenced him today to 20 to 40 years in on the murder count and a consecutive one to two years on a child endangerment count.

Prosecutors said his daughter, Victoria, was repeatedly struck in November 2017.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported during the degree-of-guilt hearing the judge said the defendant knew his daughter was born premature and was fragile, so his actions were more than mere negligence, but there was little evidence that his actions were premeditated or malicious.

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