Father sentenced to 28 years for beating 3-year-old son to death over bed wetting

TACOMA -- A Tacoma man was sentenced Friday to 28 years in prison for beating his 3-year-old son to death because he became angry over the toddler's bed wetting.

Kingsa McKnight, 34, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault for the 2014 beating death of his son.

According to prosecutors, McKnight took his son to an urgent care center on June 13, 2014, because he was lethargic and vomiting. The nurse told him the child needed to be taken to an emergency room immediately, but instead McKnight took his son home.

Eight days later, the boy lost consciousness and his father took him to the hospital, where the child was placed on life support. Prosecutors said the boy had bruises on his head and chest, and a CT scan revealed two subdural hemorrhages and a skull fracture. Doctors determined the head injuries were inflicted just a few hours before the child's arrival at the hospital.

Further testing revealed the boy had suffered a liver laceration and a rib fracture at different times during the last month.

On June 23, the boy was taken off life support and died.

The victim’s mother -- who lived separately from the husband -- told detectives that McKnight was angry because the child was having potty training issues.

McKnight told detectives that he shared a bed with his son, and his son had wet the bed the two previous nights, prosecutors said.