By Lisa Trigg
TERRE HAUTE — A Terre Haute man who admitted to battering his infant twins received a 20-year prison sentence Tuesday.
Jeffrey Whitner, 21, must serve 15 years of the sentence, with the remaining five years suspended and on formal probation. Whitner admitted to two class-B felony charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury. A plea agreement dropped two class-B felony charges of battery with serious bodily injury to a person less than age 14.
Judge Michael Eldred accepted the plea agreement in Vigo Superior Court 1 and ordered that Whitner also have no contact with his twin daughters. He will receive credit for time he has already spent in the Vigo County jail since his arrest.
Whitner was arrested in March 2008 after his twin daughters were taken to Union Hospital in late February with multiple injuries. One of the infants had multiple broken ribs, a lacerated liver and a skull fracture. The other infant had broken ribs and a possible brain injury.
Whitner allegedly told police he injured the children after he became drunk and argued with his wife. The children were transferred to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, and were later placed in foster care.
A trial in the case was scheduled to begin Monday.
A class-B felony carries a presumptive sentence of 10 years in prison with a possible range of six to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or lisa.trigg@tribstar.com.
