A Lexington man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the death of a 4-month-old baby

A Lexington man responsible for the 2018 death of a 4-month-old was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison as part of a plea deal.

Brent Kelty, 32, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for manslaughter in the death of 4-month-old Landon Mayes, who died of blunt force trauma to the head. He received an additional nine years in prison for violating the terms of his probation after previously being convicted of felony drug trafficking.

Kelty was originally charged with murder and being a persistent felony offender. Kelty Pleaded guilty to lesser charges first-degree murder as part of a plea deal in January after court mediation. According to court documents, the persistent felony offender charge was dismissed.

Kelty’s attorney, Russell Baldani, said the mediation process was “long and arduous,” but he felt the plea agreement reached was a “fair resolution.”

Although Kelty did not make a statement during the formal proceedings, Baldani spoke to the media and said his client was “extremely remorseful.”

“He didn’t make a statement because he couldn’t say anything that would alleviate the woman’s pain,” Baldani said.

Lexington police investigated the death, but the attorney general’s office previously presented the case to a grand jury. As a result of Kelty’s complaint.

At the time, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Daniel Cameron said representatives could not comment on why the charges were brought three years after Mayes’ death.

When the indictment was handed down, Kelty was already in jail on unrelated charges, according to jail records. Kelty had been convicted of several prior felonies in Fayette County since 2010, according to court records, which is why he was charged with being a persistent felony offender.