The man who allegedly twisted his child's neck in the parking lot of St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital several years ago, has filed an appeal.

You may recall Glenn Climer, Jr. of Murfreesboro was sentenced to spend 26 years behind bars for attempted voluntary manslaughter and child abuse. Climer suggested the evidence was not sufficient to support his conviction.

In 2011, Climer and a significant other allegedly got into a heated argument about the paternity of their child. According to court documents, Climer thought his brother was the father of the child. The argument was at the home of Climer's mother and during the fight, his mom had a panic attack and had to be rushed to the hospital. Climer's significant other had already fled the home in fear of her safety, but left the child behind. Climer then took the child to the hospital, where his mother had been taken by ambulance. 

Security noticed Climer holding the child in the parking lot and suggested that he seemed upset. Murfreesboro Police were called to the scene and according to the appeal document, “Appellant “grabbed the child’s arm . . . [and] [h]ad the child’s chin with his right hand and was pulling [the child’s head] towards the child’s right shoulder,” essentially twisting the child’s neck.”

Police and security guards wrestled the baby away from Climer because they feared he intended to either hurt or kill the child. MPD Officer Edwards stated that it was the closest he had ever come in his law enforcement career to shooting someone.

After the appeal was reviewed, it was denied and officially filed on Monday (June 16, 2014). Climer will remain behind bars until 2037. However, he will be eligible for parole in just 5 years.

Source:

Appeal from the Circuit Court for Rutherford County
No. F-67353 David Bragg, Judge
No. M2013-00651-CCA-R3-CD