The man who admitted to beating a 3-year-old boy to death in a Seneca Falls apartment last May was sentenced Thursday.
Seneca County Acting District Attorney Mark Sinkiewicz confirmed that Donald Bovio was sentenced to 15 years to life for second-degree murder for the death of his stepson Panagiotis "Peter" Stephanides-Vacchino. Court documents state Donald and his wife, Alison, beat Peter with a belt multiple times inside their apartment in May 2018, "intentionally causing his head to strike a hard floor surface." The boy was then knocked unconscious. Court documents stated the boy was unable to breathe on his own and had brain bleeding with no activity.
Peter was on life support for several days at Upstate Medical Center. Police said he died on May 16. His biological father was able to visit him before his death.
In April, Donald pleaded guilty to the charge of second-degree murder in Seneca County Court. Several days after the hearing, he tried to withdraw his plea but was unsuccessful.
On Thursday, Donald tried again to withdraw his guilty plea that he put in back in April, but was denied by Judge Jason Cook.
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