By Glynis Crawford Smith
The Highlander
The death sentence was taken off the table for a Blanco County man Friday, Feb. 3, when he entered a guilty plea in 33rd District Court in Burnet and accepted a life sentence for the murder of a child.
John Cody Lawrence, 24, appeared before District Judge Allan Garrett, to plead guilty to capital murder of a child under the age of 10, as well a four counts of assaulting a public servant.
The case made headlines in San Antonio last year, when the 15-month-daughter of Lawrence's girlfriend died in University Hospital there on May 5.
That was two days after Sunny Dakota Slade-Bort was found in the couple’s Blanco apartment bruised and unresponsive by emergency medical services and was air lifted to San Antonio.
District Attorney Wiley “Sonny” McAfee said he was contacted when the child was put on life support.
