GLASGOW – A Barren County man who admitted causing the death of a baby in his care was sentenced Monday to 18 years in prison.

Chad Flora Lewis, 39, of Cave City, was sentenced in Barren Circuit Court in accordance with a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, marijuana cultivation (five or more plants) and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Lewis was originally charged with murder in the 2015 death of 8-week-old Jalayah Grace Clark.

The case had been pending for more than three years, and multiple trial dates were set only for the case to be continued and eventually settled following mediation between Barren County Commonwealth’s Attorney John Gardner and Lewis’ attorney, Johnny Bell.

Lewis pleaded guilty in November, less than a week before a trial was set to begin.

“This hasn’t been an easy situation for anybody,” Barren Circuit Judge John Alexander said at the sentencing hearing.

“I can only hope that everybody can begin to turn a corner after this,” Alexander said.

The Barren County Sheriff’s Office investigated Jalayah’s death.

Deputies were called Sept. 6, 2015, to a residence on Squire Edwards Road in Cave City regarding an unresponsive child.

Lewis told deputies he had been taking care of Jalayah that day while the child’s mother was at work, according to prior court testimony.

The baby had been crying for some time while sitting in a bouncer seat when Lewis claimed to have shaken the baby from side to side in the seat, with the child’s head striking the sides of the seat.

Jalayah died Sept. 8, 2015, at Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville.

An autopsy showed the infant died from a closed head injury, court records said.

In addition to being shaken, the baby was thrown across a bed by Lewis, who also threw a pacifier and full baby bottle at her and struck her with a wet rag before bringing her to a neighbor’s house when she became unresponsive, according to testimony in 2015 from the late Detective Rusty Anderson of the sheriff’s office.

Lewis told investigators at the time he was “possessed” and “normally would not do this,” Anderson testified three years ago.

Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Lewis’ residence and found an active marijuana grow operation with about 30 plants, court records said, resulting in the cultivation and drug paraphernalia charges.

– Follow courts reporter Justin Story on Twitter @jstorydailynews or visit bgdailynews.com.