HAMILTON — After about 90 minutes of deliberations, a jury convicted Kevin Charles Miles Wednesday of killing his girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter.

        Mr. Miles, 27, of Woodlawn, sat emotionless as the jury's guilty verdicts were read on charges of murder and child endangering in the Jan. 1 beating death of Courtney Centers.

Miles

        As more than a half-dozen of Courtney's relatives muffled their sobs, Mr. Miles' lawyer, Jim Cooper, said: “Despite what people might think, (Mr. Miles) does feel remorse.”

        But when Judge H.J. Bressler asked Mr. Miles whether he wanted to say anything, Mr. Miles was unresponsive — so much so that the judge asked, “Did you hear me?” and again asked whether he had anything to say.

        Mr. Miles finally answered: “No.”

        He was led away in handcuffs to await sentencing June 14 — his 28th birthday.

        State law gives Judge Bressler no choice but to sentence Mr. Miles to 15 years to life on the murder charge, but the judge has some discretion on the child-endangering charge. The judge may impose a prison term of up to eight years on that charge.

        Mr. Miles admitted to police that he had punched the girl while her mother, Tiana Centers, 20, went to a convenience store. But his lawyer had argued that the estimated time of the child's fatal injury — a 2-inch gash in her liver — could have implicated Ms. Centers as the abuser.

        However, Butler County Prosecutor Robin Piper said no evidence had been presented to support that theory.

        Tonia Dunn, 29, Courtney's great-aunt, said she hoped the guilty verdicts against Mr. Miles would convince the public that Ms. Centers wasn't the one who hurt Courtney.

        Ms. Centers, who continued to write love letters to Mr. Miles after a jury convicted her of permitting child abuse, was sentenced to four years in prison last week. She is pregnant and says Mr. Miles is the baby's father.

Union blamed for likely pay plan defeat
Weeks of rain slows farmers, developers
Church inquiry widens
Clubs anticipate Jammin' revival
Heavy rains force Fairfax to mobilize
Vice mayor issues apology
Boycott 'coalition' splits in two
New step for police reforms
Obituary: Post TV critic Mary Wood, 88
Schools note Ohio flag's birthday
Silverton tally: 287 yea; 287 nay
Tristate A.M. Report
UC wins share of $5 million health research grant
HOWARD: Some Good News
PULFER: A helping hand
RADEL: In Julia's memory
Intent argued in murder case
Miles guilty of killing girl, 3
Sanders-Portman a rematch
Students forced to pay to play
What is to become of Stewart?
Dems: Child support too costly
Grant home given to state
Mobile-home-park ruling breaks ground
Ohio auditor calls for end of village
State budget deficit keeps widening
Airport noise critics get new tool
Archdiocese checks complaint records
Autopsy finds drugs in drowned man
Jury approves death for man hired to kill pilot
Topic tonight: Birth control
Water rates could rise for 2 counties