COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A man is facing life in prison after he was convicted of beating a 3-year-old girl to death in 2017, according to prosecutors.
David Lake was found guilty Tuesday of first-degree murder of a victim under 12 by one in a position of trust. He was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Lake was convicted in the death of 3-year-old Bella Ritch. First responders found Bella unresponsive at a home in the area of Academy Boulevard and Airport Road in October 2017. She was taken to the hospital, where she died. An autopsy determined she died of blunt-force injuries.
Police at the time said Lake was in a relationship with Bella’s mother at the time of Bella’s death.