South Dakota man convicted in death of Adrian Peterson's son
CANTON, S.D. -- A South Dakota jury on Tuesday convicted a man of second-degree murder and other charges in the death of the 2-year-old son of Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson.
The Lincoln County jury deliberated more than five hours before finding Joseph Patterson, 29, guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and aggravated battery, the Argus Leader reported. The deliberations followed two weeks of testimony about the October 2013 death of Tyrese Robert Ruffin, the son of Patterson's girlfriend and Peterson.
Authorities alleged that Patterson assaulted Tyrese while the two were alone in a Sioux Falls apartment. An autopsy concluded that the boy's head sustained four blows, causing his brain to bleed, and doctors determined that the injuries could not have been accidental.
Patterson's defense maintained during the trial that Tyrese choked on a fruit snack. A doctor who testified for the defense said autopsy photos indicated injuries consistent with a child being given CPR after choking.
Patterson could face life in prison. He will be sentenced later.
Peterson has said he found out the boy was his son only about two months before his death. He had been working with Tyrese's mother to arrange a meeting with the boy when he received a call that the child was hospitalized with severe injuries. Peterson said he raced to South Dakota and saw Tyrese for the first time a day before he died.
