After being convicted of second degree murder and child abuse that resulted in the death of his 13-year old son, a Colorado father was sentenced to 48 years imprisonment.
The Durango Herald reported that Mark Redwine (60) was sentenced by Jeffrey Wilson, La Plata County District Judge.
In 2017 Redwine was charged in the disappearance Dylan Redwine. He was reported missing while on a court-ordered Thanksgiving trip to Durango, southwest Colorado. Dylan Redwine’s remains were discovered a few miles away from his father’s house in 2013. Hikers found his skull in 2015.
Redwine was convicted by a jury in July, after less than one day of deliberations.
Redwine and Elaine Hall, the mother of the boy, made national headlines when they levelled accusations against each other over the disappearance of their son on “Dr. Phil” television program in 2013.
“It’s hard to remember a convicted defendant who has shown so little remorse for their actions,” Friday’s judge stated.
Redwine did not speak at the sentencing hearing. Redwine did however maintain his innocence through comments he made for a pre-sentence report. Judge Wilson read these comments aloud Friday.
“Innocent of all the charges. Missing justice. Fake conviction. Redwine wrote Sham Trial. “… “… I will fight for Dylan’s justice and not just for me.”
After Dylan found embarrassing photos of Redwine in women’s lingerie, and Redwine eating feces out of a diaper, the prosecution argued that Redwine was responsible for Dylan’s death. They showed evidence that Dylan was having a difficult relationship with his father and that Dylan had told friends and family that he dreaded the court’s visit.
At trial, a forensic anthropologist stated that Dylan had suffered a fracture above the left eye and that the two marks on his skull were most likely caused by a knife at or near his time of death. Fred
Johnson, the special deputy district attorney, testified in support of Dylan’s testimony that they found blood in Redwine’s living room.
Hall testified that she had sent Dylan to her father’s house on November 18, 2012, and learned that he was missing the following day. Hall also suspected her ex-husband of lying about the disappearance.
Redwine did not testify during the trial. Redwine told investigators that he had left Dylan at home alone to run errands, and that Dylan was still missing when he returned. Defense lawyers suggested that Dylan may have fled and been attacked by a bear or mountain lion.
Justin Bogan, a public defender, also suggested that Hall’s appearances on national television turned public opinion against her husband and influenced the direction for the police investigation.
Redwine was addressed by Christian Champagne, District Attorney, during Friday’s hearing.
“After your passion for whatever made you act the way that you did, you stopped thinking about Dylan.” Champagne stated that you thought about yourself. You cleaned up the crime scene and hid Dylan’s corpse.
Hall stated Friday that her ex husband’s sentence was “justice as far as justice can take.” … Dylan will not be able to take his life in the shortest time possible, but he can at least stay there. Hopefully he’ll die in prison.”
Redwine was a truck driver and was taken into custody in Bellingham, Washington after the 2017 grand jury indictment.