GREENFIELD — The Indiana Court of Appeals has denied Matthew Wagoner’s request to overturn the conviction and sentence he received for murdering his 1-year-old daughter, Zoey, stating “it is challenging to find words that fully capture the heinousness of his actions.”
The Greenfield man was found guilty of murder and neglect of a dependent in January and was sentenced to 67½ years in an Indiana Department of Correction facility. Zoey died of blunt-force trauma.
Monday, the state’s appellate court issued its ruling.
“As the parent of (Zoey), as well as her sole caregiver on the morning of her death, Wagoner held the ultimate position of trust and abused that position in a violent, horrifying fashion,” the court ruling states.
It also rejected his motion for his sentence to be overturned.
“It has often been said that maximum sentences should be reserved for the very worst offenses and the very worst offenders. We do not fault the trial court for finding that this case qualifies,” the ruling states.
