No Death Penalty In Death Of Infant

The first-degree murder charge will stand, but Latah County Prosecutor William Thompson will not seek the death penalty against a University of Idaho student charged with killing his infant daughter.

Thompson made his decision known Thursday in the case of David Pettit, who allegedly caused 15-week-old Rebekkah Pettit’s death by shaking her last month.

The prosecutor said autopsy results and other legal considerations led to his filing the notice in 2nd District Court.

Pettit, who now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted, is in the Latah County Jail without bond pending a Dec. 1 preliminary hearing.