Lincoln man sentenced to 85 years to life in prison for death of 22-month-old boy

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – A Lincoln man convicted in 2023 of molesting a 22-month-old boy to death was sentenced Tuesday to 85 years to life in prison.

Joshua Tackett, 33, was found guilty in July on two counts: intentional child abuse resulting in death and distribution of a controlled substance near a school.

A Lancaster County judge imposed Tackett's sentence after compelling victim impact testimony from the child's father.

“Rudy Jr. truly deserves to live a full life, and sometimes I blame myself for not making sure that happened,” said Rudy Requejo-Ybarra.

“What you did to me and my family truly turned my life upside down,” Requejo-Ybarra said in his statement. “It is my own strength and that of my children who are still here on this earth that I am still fighting and trying to move forward.”

The case against Tackett was heard over two weeks, with the jury finding him guilty on the abuse and drug charges but acquitting him on three other charges, including first-degree assault and two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Rudy Jr. was taken to CHI Health St. Elizabeth in March 2023, where staff noted signs of severe abuse. He was then flown by rescue helicopter to Omaha Children's Hospital, where he later died.

According to court documents, the boy's mother, Brittany Cook, 31, said she found her son unresponsive after leaving him to sleep. Cook, who had been dating Tackett for several months, reportedly told police that her son frequently showed bruises and injuries after Tackett came into her life.

In September, Cook was found guilty of child abuse resulting in death, child abuse resulting in injury and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance near a school.

She will appear in Lancaster County Court at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 21 for sentencing. Cook faces a life sentence.

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