An Indiana man who zip-tied the neck of a child who reportedly suffered from mental health issues, then got "sidetracked" while playing video games was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the boy's death.
Last month, Matthew Dirig, 34, was convicted of neglect in the death of his girlfriend's 8-year-old son, Theodore "Theo" Cochran, in Huntington, Indiana in November 2022, according to WPTA-TV.
He was handed down the maximum sentence Tuesday.
"We forever for the rest of our lives will not have Theo," the victim's grandmother, Chasidy Masters, told the station. "Matt will serve his 40 years, he will see his family, he will be able to talk with his family, he will potentially live life outside of prison cell someday, but we don't get our Theo back."
Theo was found dead in his locked bedroom by his mother, Ashlee Cochrane, who pleaded guilty to neglect and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, earlier this year, according to the outlet.
Ashlee was at work and left Theo in Dirig's care when she came home to discover the boy unconscious with a zip-tie around his neck while her boyfriend played video games in another room, the probable cause affidavit read, according to WFFT-TV.
She called 911. Efforts to resuscitate Theo were unsuccessful.
During police questioning, Dirig claimed Theo was suicidal and suffered mental health issues. He said the boy was experiencing a tantrum at the time, so he put him in his room in an effort to calm him down and locked his door from the outside.
Dirig then got "sidetracked" while playing video games and never checked on the boy until his girlfriend came home.
Dirig explained to detectives he worked in IT and had zip-ties on hand for cables, The Mirror reported, citing the affidavit. He said Theo liked to play with the zip-ties and must've gotten a hold of them and tied them around his own neck in a suicide attempt – but detectives didn't buy it.
A leather jacket belonging to Dirig with fresh scratch marks and medical gloves were found in its pocket, according to the affidavit, WFFT reported.
A medical examiner determined Theo died from asphyxiation, but that it would have been difficult for a child his size to choke himself to death, and that he likely died from a pulling force from the back of his neck.
Homicide could not be ruled out.
