Local man pleads in daughter’s death

PALMER — A Wasilla-area man pleaded no contest Monday to a single count of second-degree murder for the November 2007 death of his baby girl.

Burton Naczi, 23, an unemployed carpenter, initially told his daughter’s mother he tripped while carrying the 6-month-old girl and fell down some stairs.

According to court documents, the injuries to baby Kaydence were not discovered until her mother brought the infant home from a 22-hour visit with Naczi and noticed the girl had extensive bruising and seemed lethargic. Naczi told Alaska State Troopers he partially covered Kaydence with a blanket prior to her mother’s arrival.

Eventually, Naczi told troopers he shook the baby and threw her on a couch. The baby was flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center with hemorrhages in her eye and brain, and extensive bruising to her knees, arms, chest, ribs and face. Despite surgery to relieve swelling to her brain, Kaydence died at the Anchorage hospital.

Naczi was arrested Nov. 19, 2007, the day after Kaydence died, according to trooper reports.

Trooper Sgt. Mike Burkmire, who oversees the troopers investigating the case, said Naczi agreed Monday to plead to one count of second-degree murder and prosecutors, in return, dropped a manslaughter charge.

Burkmire said lawyers in the case reached an agreement that Naczi will receive a sentence of 60 years in prison with 30 suspended, for a total of 30 years to serve. Naczi would also, according to the agreement, be on probation for 15 years after his release, Burkmire said.

Judge Vanessa White told the parties she could, at sentencing, refuse the agreed-upon prison term.

“She just read the standard stipulation,” Burkmire said, noting that, in his experience, for a judge to tweak a sentence at this stage in the process is rare.

“If that happens then the parties have the right to withdraw from the agreement,” Burkmire said.

Naczi will formally receive his sentence Nov. 7 at 9:30 a.m.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.