Dad starved 2-year-old son, then he’s found dead in crib, Michigan officials say

A 26-year-old man is going to prison after being convicted of starving his 2-year-old son to death, Michigan officials said.

In March 2023, Jonathon Matthew Cheek’s 2-year-old son was found dead in his crib in their Mount Clemens home, according to a Dec. 18 news release by the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.

The medical examiner determined that the child died from starvation, officials said.

The boy’s father “was charged with second degree murder, a life felony, and second degree child abuse, a ten year felony,” the release said.

In October, Cheek pleaded no contest to the charges, officials said.

He was sentenced to 24 to 50 years on the second-degree murder charge and 86 months to 10 years on the second-degree child abuse charge, prosecutors said.

“This is a heartbreaking and profoundly sad case. A two-year-old child, full of potential and deserving of love and care, was failed in the most devastating way. No sentence can bring back this innocent life, but hopefully the family can begin to heal,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in the release.

Mount Clemens is about a 30-mile drive northeast of Detroit.

This story was originally published December 19, 2024 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Dad starved 2-year-old son, then he’s found dead in crib, Michigan officials say."