The parents of a two-month-old child whose death was ruled a homicide in November 2017 were sentenced Friday in Pike County Circuit Court.
Frankey D. Tigue, 33, of Murfreesboro, who was charged with the second-degree murder of his daughter, Francesca Cordelia Tigue, pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 30 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction with five years suspended.
The mother, Rebbeccah Fay Tigue, who now resides on Buttermilk Springs Road in Caddo Gap, pleaded “no contest” to the charges of permitting the abuse of a minor and hindering apprehension or prosecution and was sentenced to 20 years in the ADC with six years suspended.
The infant was found deceased in a bassinet Nov. 7, 2017 at the Tigue home on Alamo Drive in Murfreesboro, according to court records.
An autopsy performed by the Arkansas State Crime Lab determined the child had multiple injuries to her body resulting in a brain injury “with various stages of healing, along with multiple fractured ribs with various stages of healing.” The injuries indicated multiple events of the infant being shaken and resulted in her death.
After initially telling investigators the child had choked while being fed, Mr. Tigue later told investigators that a few days prior to the death that he had lost his temper and shook his daughter and unintentionally hurt her.
Mrs. Tigue initially backed her husband’s story but a person who is listed as “Donald” and “Arp” in court records said the mother had allegedly told him later she had witnessed the husband hit the child in the head with a book and slap, kick and drop the baby.
Mrs. Tigue also allegedly said that the infant was having trouble breathing the night before her death and that “her and Frankey stayed up all night rehearsing their story.”
