FAYETTEVILLE -- A Prairie Grove man pleaded guilty Thursday to murdering a two-week-old baby in 2019 and was sentenced to life in prison.
Mark Weldon Lewis, 43, of 203 S. Baggett St., Apt. 6, in Prairie Grove, pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison by Washington County Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay.
Prosecutors said Lewis punched a two-week-old boy on the head, causing multiple skull fractures, then left him alone in an apartment to die.
Matt Durrett, prosecuting attorney, said Lewis will not be eligible for parole.
"It was a fitting end to a terrible case. The actions of one man have affected the lives of numerous people," Durrett said. "There's a mother out there who will never be the same and a baby who was only able to breathe the air of life for two weeks. I hope this will let her start the process of healing."
The body of Jessie Kenneth Lewis was found in the apartment by his mother, Angela Lewis, and his grandmother, Wanda McCain, on March 28, 2019. Police said Angela Lewis, 36, had been in a local hospital for the previous seven days being treated for complications from childbirth.
The infant was on a living room couch, according to a police report. The Washington County coroner noted possible injury to the baby's skull and a body temperature of 72.5 degrees, the same as the room temperature.
Mark Lewis was arrested in Farmington on a warrant for failure to appear. Angela Lewis checked herself out of the hospital when she learned Lewis had been arrested.
Lewis was interviewed in the jail and told police he had been caring for the baby alone.
Lewis told police the baby was lying on the couch when he became frustrated and punched the baby on the head. The infant hadn't been sick nor was he crying, according to the report.
Lewis said he then packed some clothes, locked the apartment, threw away the key and left, according to the report.
Lewis was initially charged with capital murder and took a plea bargain to avoid a possible death sentence.