Fort Hall Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Shaken Baby Case

POCATELLO—Ian Jack Crooked Arm, a/k/a Ian Sittre, 26, of Fort Hall, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to one count of involuntary manslaughter, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.

According to the plea agreement, on February 20, 2013, a 10-month-old infant girl was left in Sittre’s care when the child’s mother went to work. Sittre was living with the mother and other family members at a residence on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. Less than 10 minutes after leaving, Sittre called the child’s mother and told her something was wrong with the baby. Upon arriving at the residence, Sittre told the mother that the baby was “breathing funny.” She called 911 and attempted CPR. Sittre left the residence before paramedics or police arrived. Paramedics transported the child, unconscious and non-responsive, by ambulance to Portneuf Medical Center. She was then airlifted to Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City in critical condition. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, the infant died on February 22, 2013.

According to the plea agreement, an autopsy conducted on February 23 concluded that the immediate cause of death was abusive head trauma inflicted by a caregiver. A review of the child’s medical history found nothing to indicate any pre-existing conditions that may have contributed to the child’s death. According to the plea agreement, on April 4, 2013, during a recorded telephone call between Sittre and his mother, from jail, Sittre admitted that he shook the baby “too hard.”

The charge of involuntary manslaughter is punishable by up to eight years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.

Sittre is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2014, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.

The case was investigated by the Fort Hall Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.