A 40-year-old Montana father, Kristopher Michael Harasymczuk, will spend the rest of his life in prison after killing his defenseless 4-year-old stepson. During the 2021 murder, Harasymczuk immersed the boy in a scalding hot bathtub, with his temperature reaching an excruciating temperature of 102 degrees.
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As reported by Law & Crime, Harasymczuk was sentenced on Wednesday, June 25, to 80 years in prison on one count of intentional homicide. Additionally, he was sentenced to 15 years each for counts of assaulting a minor and tampering with evidence. He will serve all his sentences concurrently.
Back in March, Harasymczuk was convicted by a jury in connection with he 2021 death of his stepson, Jaxsynn.
Homicide
As per the Billings Gazette, the incident occurred on October 22, 2021. First responders, including Billings Police Department officers and emergency personnel, responded to a Woodgrain Drive residence after receiving a report of an unresponsive child.
Jaxsynn was found lying on the ground next to the bathtub in the bathroom. Medics noted his skin was dry, but it was warm. After being rushed to a local hospital, the 4-year-old was pronounced dead.
An autopsy conducted on Jaxsynn determined that his death was a homicide. His likely cause of death was recorded as hyperthermia. The autopsy added that the child’s body had reached a temperature of 102 degrees.
Additionally, the child’s face and body showed signs of abuse. KTVQ reported that blunt force trauma to the head or drowning could have also contributed to the child’s death.
An investigation discovered, thanks to interviews with Jaxsynn’s siblings, that Kristopher Michael Harasymczuk had physically abused them.
Mother Charged
Lana Marie Harasymczuk, the boy’s mother, according to court documents obtained by KRTV, originally told police that the boy had fallen and drowned in the pool. She added that her husband, Kristopher, was not present.
However, after being confronted with the autopsy results, she changed her story. Lana allegedly told police that Kristopher was the last one in the bathroom with Jaxsynn. A prosecutor alleged in Kristopher’s trial that the 4-year-old screamed, “Hot, hot.”
The boy also screamed for his mother as he was immersed in the scalding water by his stepfather.
Lana Marie Harasymczuk was charged with three counts of child endangerment and tampering or fabricating physical evidence on Monday, June 23. On Thursday, June 26, Lana pleaded not guilty to all her charges.