NELSONVILLE, Ohio — A Nelsonville man was sentenced to prison for the March 2021 death of an 11-year-old who was shot by the man's 14-year-old son.
On Feb. 25, 37-year-old Donald Platt was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and endangering children in the death of Eli Spangler.
The judge sentenced Platt to a minimum of four years in prison with a maximum of six on Tuesday.
Spangler was at Platt's home on March 6, 2021, when the 14-year-old got a gun out of a cabinet to show it off.
The teen told police he had the gun and was showing off the laser and light when he dropped it. He said when he tried to pick it up one-handed, he accidentally grabbed the trigger and hit Spangler in the chest.
According to the police report, the teen told police the gun cabinet appeared to be locked, but he believes his dad forgot to change the combination on the lock because it did not fully lock and he was able to pull it open.
Platt told police he didn’t know how the boys got into the safe.
According to the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office, the two charges merged for the purposes of sentencing. A maximum sentence of 16 and a half years was possible by statute.
The prosecutor’s office argued for a minimum of eight years with a maximum of 12. The defense argued for probation and no prison time before the judge imposed the four-year sentence.
The 14-year-old was charged with reckless homicide. He appeared in juvenile court last May where he pleaded guilty.