Brewer Man Sentenced to 6.5 Years For the Death of His Infant Son

A Brewer man will spend over six years in prison for the death his infant son.

How Did the Baby Die?

It was in June 2021 when Ronald Harding called 911 to report that his 6-week-old son Jaden wasn't breathing. The infant was transported to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in critical condition and later died of his injuries.

Jaden's body was taken to the Chief Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy. That examination revealed that Jaden died of injuries consistent with being violently shaken. At that point, Ronald Harding was arrested for manslaughter. He was released on bail but then contacted the child's mother, who was set to testify at the trial. Since then, Harding has been incarcerated.

What Was the Sentence?

A jury convicted Ronald Harding, 38, of manslaughter on March 2nd. Tuesday, a judge sentenced him to fifteen years in prison, with 8.5 years suspended, which means he'll spend 6.5 years behind bars and then he'll be on probation for another six years after he's released. According to the BDN, part of Harding's probation restrictions prohibit him from having any unsupervised contact with children under the age of 12.

Did Jaden's Parents Address the Court at the Sentencing?

Jaden mothers, Kayla Harding was not emotionally equipped to be in court but an advocate read a statement for her, expressing her anger and telling Harding that she had lost everything. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services removed several older children from the home after Jaden's death.

Ronald Harding did not address the court before his sentence.