B.C. man sentenced in toddler's death

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WOOD) - A 25-year-old Battle Creek man was sentenced this morning to life in prison without parole for his conviction in the death of his girlfriend's daughter.

Leo Ackley said he found 3-year-old Baylee Stenman unconscious in the apartment he shared with the girl's mother, Erica Stenman, on July 28.

Ackley said Baylee had fallen out of bed and hit her head. But investigators found bruising on the toddler's neck. It was an injury not consistent with a fall, doctors later testified.

Baylee suffered a subdural hematoma -- blood on the brain resulting from serious head trauma -- and died Aug. 1.

A detective testified that Ackley said he was frustrated by Baylee's difficulty with toilet training, and that she frequently wet herself and the bed.

Ackely said he is innocent, during his sentencing hearing for murder and child abuse. First-degree murder carries a life imprisonment sentence in the state of Michigan.