A man who pleaded no contest to multiple charges related to the death of his infant daughter has lost his appeal when he failed to file a brief in time.
Jacob Anthony Triplett, 29, of Rock Springs, was sentenced in the Third District Court of Judge Nena James last October.
During the sentencing hearing, Triplett pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, three counts of aggravated child abuse and two counts of child abuse. Triplett was sentenced to serve between 128-166 years on all of the charges, 40-50 years will be served concurrently and the 88-116 will be served consecutively. However, as soon as the sentencing hearing was over, he said he would appeal, and he did.
On. Sept. 27, 2017, the Wyoming Supreme Court reviewed the case and issued an order affirming the judgement and sentence.
According to this order, Triplett filed this appeal to challenge the district court’s Dec. 8, 2016, judgment and sentence. The matter came before the Wyoming Supreme Court after Triplett didn’t file a pro se brief within the time allotted by the court. “Pro se” means representing oneself.
On July 2o, 2o17, Triplett’s attorney filed a motion to withdraw as counsel. The following day, the Supreme Court, entered an order granting a motion for extension of time to file the pro se brief. The court stated that on or before Sept. 4, 2017, “the appellant may file with this court a pro se brief specifying the issues he would like this court to consider in this appeal.” The court noted that Triplet didn’t timely file a pro se brief.
The Supreme Court then decided to rule on the matter and approved the counsel’s request to withdraw from the case and to affirm the district court’s judgement and sentence.
The case
According to court documents, on Sept. 15, 2014, Rock Springs Police officers responded to the Tripletts’ home in Rock Springs to assist with a medical call involving an infant that had stopped breathing.
The girl was taken to Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County and was found to be malnourished and dehydrated.
The infant was then taken into protective custody by the Wyoming Department of Family Services and was transported to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, where she, identified as S., was found to be brain dead and was taken off of life support and died.
On Sept. 16, 2014, detectives from the Green River Police Department conducted a welfare check on the Tripletts’ three other children. The children were a four-year-old boy, identified as N.L., a two-year-old boy, identified as L.T. and a four-month-old girl, identified as K.T.
K.T. is the deceased girl’s twin and they were both born seven weeks premature.
Upon examining K.T., detectives found the child was malnourished and immediately had the infant transported to MHSC. K.T. was later transported to Primary Children’s Hospital, and the three children were taken into protective custody. An an investigation, numerous issues were brought up on how the children were being cared for.
Evidence mounted from the lack of being fed to healing broken bones from previous abuse and the conditions of the home. Jacob Triplett wasn’t the only one charged and sentenced for his crimes, his wife Amanda Dawn Triplett, 27, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and two counts of child abuse last November.
She was sentenced to 30-50 years, but she did not appeal.
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