A man who participated in the neglect of his baby, who weighed less when rescued than at birth, pleaded guilty Wednesday, Dec. 7.
Samson Mueller, 28, plead guilty in Richmond County Superior Court to cruelty to children in the second degree. Because of the time he has been in jail since his arrest, Mueller will soon be released to begin a probation term of five and a half years.
Mueller and the mother of his child were arrested Aug. 15, 2019, after Richmond County Sheriff Office deputies were called to assist with the removal of the baby. A family member who took the child with the deputies’ help rushed the victim to a hospital, according to an earlier report in The Augusta Press.
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The doctor told her the baby could have died if she hadn’t brought the infant to the hospital, she told the judge on Aug. 10 when the baby’s mother, Christine Eyton, 36, pleaded guilty in the same case. She received the same sentence as Mueller.
The baby was severely malnourished and dehydrated. A set of rosary beads was wrapped so tightly around the baby’s arm it not only left bruises but had to be cut off.
The baby, Judge Ashley Wright noted, has recovered, and is now thriving.
While on probation, Mueller is to undergo evaluation and treatment for mental health. He is not to have any contact with the victim nor with Eyton, and he is not to have unsupervised contact with any other child, Wright ordered.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
