DA: Man convicted in infant daughter’s death in Buncombe County

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office reports a man was convicted in connection with the death of his 12-week-old daughter on Wednesday.

Officials report prosecutors presented evidence at a trial arguing that Nicholas Shane Stephenson was responsible for the infant, Riley Stephenson’s, death, citing torture, abuse, neglect, and malnutrition.

The child’s mother Diandra Haleigh Fuhr-Farlow gave testimony at the trial after previously pleading guilty to felony child abuse, officials said.

Stephenson was convicted of second-degree murder and felony child abuse. He was initially charged with first-degree murder.

A judge sentenced Stephenson to an active prison term of 200 to 252 months for second-degree murder followed by an active term of 125 to 162 months for felony child abuse.

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