Lafayette Man Pleads Guilty To Killing Child

A Lafayette man, trying to escape a possible death sentence, has pleaded guilty to the 2011 first-degree murder of a little boy.

Ronjoerox Hamilton has received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.  He admitted to state District Judge Marilyn Castle that he was the person who killed his girlfriend's 9-year son.

Dylan James Royer was murdered two years ago.  Castle said she wanted to look into Hamilton's eyes when she handed down his sentence to him yesterday.

Hamilton had been slated for an October 7th trial in the death of the little boy.

The prosecutor says that on June 11, 2011 Hamilton beat Dylan "for an extended period of time".  Prosecutor J.N. Prather says Hamilton new the boy had asthma, and "he was frail".

Dylan died the following day at an area hospital.

The boy’s mother is charged as a principal to first-degree murder and is awaiting trial.