An ex- policeman has been charged with second degree murder after he forced his eight-year-old son to sleep on the concrete floor of a bitterly cold garage overnight. Michael Valva, a former New York officer, was found guilty of four counts of child endangerment and is now facing a potential maximum 25 years to life sentence in prison.
Below freezing temperatures fell to -6C the night little Thomas Valva was forced to sleep in the garage of his family's Long Island home and the youngster sadly died the following day in January 2020. After a month's worth of testimony, Friday's verdict was announced on the first day of deliberations, the Mirror reports.
The eight year old's death was ruled as a homicide by a medical examiner who found that hypothermia was a leading factor in his death. Prosecutors said that Thomas and his 10 year old brother were both on the autism spectrum and were sometimes made to sleep overnight in the garage by their parent.
