Suspect in baby's death pleads guilty to manslaughter

DANVILLE – A week before the start of his murder trial, a Danville man pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in connection with the 2006 shaking death of 2½-year-old Reagan Williams, who died while in his care.

Ryan Allhands, 24, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of involuntary manslaughter, a Class 2 felony. By doing so, he admitted to unintentionally killing Reagan, "a family or household member, without lawful justification by recklessly performing the acts which caused her death" and that those acts "were likely to cause death or great bodily harm."

Though special penalty provisions apply – because Reagan, whose mother was involved with Allhands, was living in Allhands' home at 411 Dellwood St. in Tilton at the time of the offense – the maximum sentence he could receive is 14 years in prison.

"We're not really satisfied with it, but that's what we're going to have to accept," Gary Green, Reagan's maternal grandfather, said outside of the courtroom after the hearing. He added he doesn't blame the state's attorney's office for offering the deal.

"It ensures he'll receive some type of punishment," Green said softly. "I feel he deserves more. Reagan didn't do anything wrong. I feel (14 years) is kind of an insult to her."

"We do not celebrate today," Greg Williams, Reagan's paternal grandfather, wrote in an e-mail. "We still see this as a tragedy that could have been avoided. We miss our Sunshine."

Vermilion County Circuit Judge Michael Clary is scheduled to sentence Allhands at 1:15 p.m. Dec. 21.

Allhands could receive anywhere from three to 14 years in prison and up to two years of parole, or he could receive lighter sentences of up to four years of probation and/or periodic imprisonment. He also could be ordered to pay a fine up to $25,000 and restitution.

State's Attorney Randy Brinegar said he will ask for the maximum. He added that proceeding with a murder trial "would not have been a wise gamble."

"It would have been difficult getting a conviction on first-degree murder, though not impossible," he said. "Because of that, I didn't think we should take a risk and walk away with nothing."

At the hearing, Assistant State's Attorney Kavita Uppal explained how prosecutors would have laid out their involuntary manslaughter case against Allhands, in the event of a trial. She said Tracy Green, Reagan's mother, would have testified that on July 2, 2006 – the day Reagan died – her child woke up alert, healthy and normal and ate breakfast. Between 11:30 and 11:45 a.m., Green went in to take a shower. About 10 to 15 minutes later, Allhands came in to the bathroom and told her Reagan was unconscious and unresponsive. Green called 911.

Green also would have testified that while she was in the shower, Allhands, Reagan and two infants were the only other ones in the house, Uppal said.

Uppal said a Tilton first responder would have testified that upon his arrival, he saw Reagan's eyes rolled back into her head, that she wasn't breathing and didn't respond to CPR; another would have testified that he saw vomit on the carpet next to the girl. Another EMT would have testified that the toddler had no pulse or blood pressure, and an emergency room doctor would have testified that Reagan, who was pronounced dead at 12:15 p.m., had no visible external injuries that caused her death.

Uppal said two sheriff's investigators would have testified that they interviewed both Green and Allhands. The investigators said Green told them Reagan was in Allhands' sole care when the toddler became unresponsive, and Allhands "acknowledged that Tracy Green had nothing to do with the death of the child," Uppal said.

Uppal also said a medical examiner, who performed Reagan's autopsy, would have testified that Reagan's death was caused by closed head trauma consistent with shaking and that he deemed it a homicide. The doctor also would note that her body appeared normal and well-nourished otherwise.

Another medical expert, who reviewed autopsy reports, would have testified that the toddler's fatal injuries were consistent with being shaken.

Vermilion County Public Defender Bob McIntire, who planned to challenge the scientific basis of Shaken Baby Syndrome, said he planned to bring in two medical experts to refute the testimony of prosecutors' experts. He also said that Allhands believes "to his knowledge did nothing to cause" Reagan's death, but felt the state may have enough evidence to get a homicide conviction.

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