Riley Choate Rejects Plea Deal In Murder Of Son Christian

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 18, 2012 3:45PM

Christian Choate (left) and Riley Choate

Attorneys for Riley Choate say the Indiana man "less than satisfied" with a plea bargain by prosecutors in the murder case of his son Christian Choate. Apparently Choate isn't happy with the 86-year prison term associated with the deal.

The offer, according to Lake County (Ind.) deputy prosecutor Michael Woods, calls for Choate to "plead guilty to battery, a Class A felony, with a 50-year sentence; admit that he is a habitual offender with two unrelated prior felony convictions, for a 30-year sentence; and plead guilty to two Class D felony charges, for a six-year sentence." Riley Choate has pleaded not guilty to charges he murdered his son and buried him under a concrete slab near a trailer park in Hammond in 2009. He also has concerns that his attorney Randy Godshalk (who's representing Choate as a private attorney) won't offer a vigorous defense for him because Godshalk won't be reimbursed for his services by the government. Godshalk has filed three motions to have himself removed as Choate's attorney, but Lake Superior Court Judge Diane Ross Boswell has rejected the motions.

Christian Choate's stepmother, Kimberly Kubina, pleaded guilty to her part in his death in May and agreed to testify against Riley Choate. Christian Choate's sister said that he was kept in a cage and a preliminary autopsy indicated that he died of blunt force trauma, internal bleeding and a skull fracture.