ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. — An Eden man pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder in the death of his 17-month-old daughter in 2013, according to a press release.
Officers and emergency responders found the child, Toni, unresponsive at the family home just after 2 p.m. on July 11, 2013. She was taken to Morehead Memorial Hospital where she later died.
An autopsy report said the suspects, Antonio and Heather Gwynn, starved and suffocated their daughter.
An investigation showed Toni was strapped in a car seat for more than 16 hours and a blanket had been wrapped around her mouth and head. On July 16, 2013, the couple was charged with second-degree murder.
The blanket was recovered on Oct. 25 after Heather Gywnn led the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office dive team to an Eden pond in which she said Antonio Gwynn had thrown the blanket before the couple went on the run to Caswell County.
Antonio was sentenced to up to 13 years in prison. The court also ordered Antonio to have no contact with his other minor children during his active sentence and post-release supervision.
Heather Gwynn accepted a plea arrangement to testify against Antonio Gwynn and will be sentenced Friday morning.