The maximum sentences for the three people involved in the beating death of a 5-year-old boy were handed down by a district judge.
The child's parents were both women. Racso James Birdtail was staying with the couple when they were murdered.
Renova was sentenced to 100 years in prison without the chance of parole.
Videos lead to new charges for the father of the 5-year-old who was killed.
The Foster family who raised the slain boy explained how the system failed him.
Byington was given 100 years of accountability and no parole for 30 years. Byington was sentenced to 10 years in prison for criminal child endangering.
Birdtail was given 10 years for evidence tampering and 5 years for assault on a minor. Two sentences will run at the same time.
Tony's family, law enforcement, prosecutors and the community have been impacted by the murder.
There is no one left untouched. She said that everyone saw his or her children in this.
Best said nothing can excuse the crime against Tony even though the defendants had been through trauma. Tony's parents were responsible for his murder. They tortured, battered, degraded and starved him as part of a pattern of abuse that led up to his death.
She said Birdtail did more than just ignore the abuse, he encouraged it and tried to protect the murderers.
The death imposed by two of these defendants on this boy was the most severe punishment any human being, let alone a child, should be expected to endure.
The parents' duty was only to protect, love and care for him. The lightest punishment is appropriate for them.
The aunt and grandfather of Tony spoke to the court, asking that Renova and Birdtail be sentenced to death or life in prison for the murder.
Josephine LaForge wants to be the bigger person and forgive both Renova and Birdtail. My family is in a bad place. It feels like we are missing something.
The father of Byington's father addressed the two birds.
Someone beats a child. What kind of monster would do that to a baby? The bad man said something.
Tony won't get the chance to live a life. He won't watch cartoons with his grandpa. He won't get a high school degree.
Bad Moccasin wants Renova to get prison justice for his crime.
Birdtail was asked what kind of person could stand there and watch a baby being beaten to death.
The man said that Birdtail was as guilty of Tony's murder as Re nova was. He wanted Birdtail's charges to be harsher. Birdtail deserved prison justice, he said.
I hope he is beaten and that a prisoner encourages it. He might know how my grandson felt if he knew how I felt.
No one had any suggestions for Byington's punishment.
He remembered fishing with Byington when she was a child and shielding her from a storm under a rock overhang.
He wondered why Tony wasn't protected like that. My daughter is my daughter, and I adore her. I don't know if she was capable of hurting her own child, but I know she did.
Al Cotton talked to the Tribune after watching the sentencing. Tony was raised by Cotton's daughter and son-in-law.
Cotton said he was going to mow the grass near the pond that Tony used to throw rocks into. He drained it because it held a lot of bad memories.
Cotton said that he wanted to see the defendants get the death penalty.
Cotton was unable to write a letter to the judge and he wishes she would have mentioned the family Tony had while he was in foster care.
Cotton said that the last 5 months of Tony's life werehell for him and he hoped his parents suffered the same fate.
Nick Brooke asked for a 60 year sentence with 20 suspended for his client.
According to Brooke, after Tony's murder, Renova became upset and was categorized as unemotional.
Brooke said that her client couldn't comprehend how they woke up to Tony not breathing. He argued that nobody knows who dealt the death blow to Tony.
Brooke said they were both shocked when they found out that Tony was dead and had been grieving his parents ever since.
Byington was remorseful in court, according to his lawyer.
He said that Byington had never made any excuses for her involvement in the crime and had been in an abusive relationship with Renova that prevented her from standing up to him.
Thompson said that Byington would accept the court's decision.
Birdtail had cooperated with law enforcement and was ready to testify against Renova when he changed his plea.
Birdtail did not have a criminal record, she1-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-6556 is1-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-6556 Birdtail has been accused of strangulation of a partner/ family member, as well as two felony counts.
Gordon said that Birdtail had nothing to do with the abuse Tony suffered and that he was afraid of what Renova would do to his girlfriend and son. Birdtail did not lay a hand on Tony, and that is why his charge was changed.
Gordon requested a sentence of 5 years suspended on the accountability charge and 3 years deferred for evidence tampering.
Renova said that he did love Tony and that he misses him. I don't pay attention to what people say. I think he is my baby.
Tony's death had ruined his family's life.
Byington didn't speak in the court.
Birdtail apologized for not doing anything the night of Tony's murder, but he was worried about what would happen to his family.
Birdtail said that he can't blame anyone but himself for where he is. As long as I know my sons are good, I don't think I should worry about anything.
Three people were sentenced in the murder of a 5-year-old boy.
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