A plea has been entered by a Milford man charged with the accidental death of his infant daughter.

26-year-old Keith Allen Brown had been set to stand trial January 8th on charges of involuntary manslaughter and 2nd degree child abuse in the death of his 6-month-old daughter, Sophia Grace Brown. But court records show he entered a no contest plea last week to the involuntary manslaughter charge. In exchange, the child abuse count was dismissed.

Milford Police, fire and EMS responded to a 911 call from Brown around 10pm on February 2nd stating his daughter was not responsive. Rescue efforts were not successful and the baby was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police say Brown appeared highly intoxicated and initially stated he didn’t know what happened, and that the baby fell asleep on a mattress on the floor. He had a preliminary blood alcohol level above .31%. Further interviews revealed Brown fell asleep on the couch with his daughter between his arm and body. There was shifting at some point, which caused the child to suffocate.

A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as one at sentencing, which will be held December 14th. Brown is expected to receive a 2-year minimum sentence for the crime, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. (JK)