Woman, Boyfriend Sentenced For Beating Suspected Gay Son To Death

A woman who beat her 4-year-old son to death because she thought he might be gay was sentenced to serve at least 25 years in prison on Friday.

Jessica Dutro, 25, was sentenced in Washington County Court for fatally beating her son on August 14, 2012. He died in a Portland, Ore., hospital two days later after being taken off life support. Her boyfriend Brian Canady, 24, will serve about half the time after pleading guilty to first-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter in March. He was also sentenced on Friday, according to The Oregonian.

Zachary Dutro-Boggess, had three other siblings, now ages 8, 4, and 2. The family members who are now caring for them say the children showed signs of neglect when put in their custody. Now, the children are thriving, but they wanted to shed a light on the abuse they suffered through. When Dutro and Canady were sentenced on Friday, they had to face a large photo of the children, set up in court by the prosecutors.

"These four beautiful children lived every day in fear," the relatives wrote in a statement for the court. "Fear of wondering if they would be beat or not."