Plea Deal Reached In Sims’ Trial
The murder trial for a man accused of killing his 9-year-old daughter has ended in a plea deal.
Hanif Sims’ first-degree murder trial was supposed to begin Monday with a jury selection. Instead, Sims pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death, a class 2 felony.
According to 4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May, Sims said he did not seek medical attention for his child which could have saved her life.
A sentencing date has been set for April 24th. Sims will face a sentence of 27-40 years in prison.
Contractors digging in the Monument area found the body of Genesis Sims in 2010. Sims, her father, was charged with first-degree murder in her death. His girlfriend, Monique Lynch, pleaded guilty to child abuse causing death. Lynch was sentenced to 27 years in a state prison. Lynch struck a deal with prosecutors to avoid first-degree murder charges. In exchange, she agreed to testify against Sims.
May tells KRDO NewsChannel 13 that the plea deal for Sims was discussed with the mother of Genesis and she agreed it was a fair compromise.
A judge recently considered throwing out the case against Sims because of evidence problems. A week ago, Judge G. David Miller issued a scathing ruling saying, while the case would continue, “there are serious issues as to the credibility of two very senior investigators,” issues that he said could impact the entire case and lead to an acquittal.
May says all parties feel the plea deal is fair under the circumstances.
