Man sentenced to just over 6 years for death of girlfriend’s 2-year-old son

A Minneapolis man was sentenced Tuesday after admitting to killing the two-year-old son of his girlfriend.

Otis Lee Jackson, 30, was sentenced to just over six years(74 months) in prison, court officials told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

In November, Jackson pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and malicious punishment of a child in connection with the death of two-year-old Ona’Je Prince Sincere Jackson. A criminal complaint states he also abused Ona’Je’s four-month-old brother.

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On May 4, 2022, officers from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) were called to a residence in Minneapolis on a report of a child not breathing, according to a criminal complaint.

At the scene, officers saw Ona’Je’s mother attempting CPR on the child. He was brought to the hospital where he later died, the complaint stated.

Several blunt-force injuries, bruises, and scratches were observed on Ona’Je, whose manner of death was ruled a homicide.

After seeing the injuries on the Ona’Je, investigators had his 4-month-old brother brought to the hospital to be examined.

The 4-month-old had the following injuries:

• Multiple fractured ribs
• Fluid in his abdomen
• Bruising on the left side of his body
• Scabbing and possible lesions under his genitals
• Large possible chemical burn around and under the belly button
• Four possible burn marks on his back
• Blood in his right eye
• Scarring across the bridge of the nose between his eyes
• Loss of pigmentation on the side of the head leading up to both eyes

The 4-month-old also tested positive for being exposed to fentanyl.

Investigators determined that Jackson inflicted the injuries on the children, who were living with Jackson and their mother at the time.

In the days before Ona’Je’s death, his mother told investigators he was very weak, had bruises on his side, and was throwing up. She also noticed burns on the 4-month-old and asked Jackson if he had accidentally burned him with a cigarette, but Jackson said he didn’t know.

The mother said that she wanted to take the boys to the hospital, but whenever she asked, Jackson would say he had something to do and would take her car and phone. According to the criminal complaint, the mother said she didn’t press for more information because she knew it would turn into an argument where Jackson would physically assault her.

Jackson was previously convicted of second-degree assault toward the mother while she was pregnant with Ona’Je in 2019, according to court records.

A prior case from when Jackson was 14 says he claimed he accidentally burned an infant with hot soup, but a physician said the burns didn’t look consistent with an accidental burn, according to court records.