Landon Parrott is a twenty year old man from New Philadelphia Ohio who was just sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his fourteen month old son. According to court documents Landon Parrott would intentionally place his fourteen month old son in a car during a very hot day and proceeded to leave him there for the next five hours. Police in New Philadelphia estimate the temperature in the vehicle was above 130 degrees Fahrenheit. 14 month old Kyler Parrott would die from his injuries.
Landon Parrott initially told police that he left his son in the car in order to use the restroom however his story would fall apart when videos from a house across the street showed Landon Parrott placing the toddler in the car and leaving him. Landon Parrott would eventually plead guilty and was sentenced to life in prison with no shot at parole for 15 years.
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Vanessa Fraser-Parrott fought back tears as she told her husband what it meant to her that he killed their 14-month-old son, Kyler, by leaving him in a hot car Sept. 1.
“These last five months have been absolute hell,” she told Landon S. Parrott at his sentencing hearing Thursday. “You killed my reason to live. You took my whole world away from me and lied about it to everyone. You left my baby alone and scared for six hours.
“No ruling can ever make amends for your actions and nothing can bring him back. But I will be at every parole hearing to make sure you don’t ever get released. This is my final goodbye to you. Rot in hell.”
Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Judge Michael J. Ernest sentenced Parrott on Thursday to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years, a sentence dictated by state law
The judge told the defendant that if he were to be released, the only thing he could do to make amends “would be to live the best life you possibly can for Kyler, to show him the man that you should have been on that day, but weren’t.”
Given the chance to speak at sentencing, Parrott said, “I’m sorry for the pain that I caused Vanessa and the pain that I caused her family and the pain I caused my family. I was supposed to be a provider for my son and a provider for Vanessa and I was terrible at that
He expressed the hope that his brother and sister can learn to love him and be present for him “even though I haven’t been the best big brother.”
Vanessa said she was not certain Landon could understand the hole he left in her heart when she comes home and Kyler isn’t there.
She recalled that she learned she was pregnant as a 19-year-old recent high school graduate still living with her mother. She said her love for Kyler grew as he grew and developed.
“His first laugh, his first words, his first sentence, I was there for all of them,” Vanessa said.
She ended her statement in court by addressing her son
“Mommy loves you so much. Rest in perfect peace, Kyler. Mommy will see you again someday.”
Assistant County Prosecutor Scott Deedrick extended his condolences to those who knew Kyler.
“I am unable to really come to grips with how Kyler, who should have really been protected, nurtured and loved, should have instead suffered and been killed so horribly by the recklessness of the defendant,” he said.
Deedrick commended the New Philadelphia Police Department, the Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital emergency department staff and the staff of the Tuscarawas County Coroner’s Office for their “quick and decisive action” which uncovered the circumstances.
Kyler died after being left alone in a car near the family’s apartment in the 500 block of Ashwood Lane NW. Police Chief Michael Goodwin previously said that the toddler was left in the vehicle deliberately so he would “not be a disturbance while in the house.”
