A man charged after a 2-year-old was found dead under his care pleaded guilty to charges including murder in connection to the child’s death.
Bryan Danter, identified in court documents as the child’s father, pleaded guilty to second-degree felony murder, second-degree drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to court records.
Danter was charged in September 2024 with drug trafficking and child endangerment counts after state troopers found a 2-year-old child dead in an apartment, according to previous KOMU 8 reporting.
After investigators concluded the child died of exposure to fentanyl, a felony murder charge was added to the case, according to previous reporting. An individual can be charged with felony murder in Missouri when someone dies during the perpetration of a felony.
The probable cause statement filed at the time described guns discovered by state troopers during the child death investigation.
The guns included a pump-action shotgun, a semi-automatic shotgun and a semi-automatic .22- caliber rifle. Troopers said the serial number on the rifle had been sanded off, according to previous reporting.
Since Danter was previously convicted in a felony case and is not allowed to own firearms by law.
Danter has a sentencing hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. June 12.
