Jeffrey Carns, 50, and his wife, Joy Carns, 42, both of Fenton, have been sentenced to prison for beating a child younger than 17 years old. Jeffrey Carns was sentenced to 10 years, and Joy Carns got a five-year sentence, according to court records.
Both pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child with physical injury and one count of endangering the welfare of a child creating a substantial risk, all felonies. On July 8, Jefferson County Div. 6 Circuit Judge Troy A. Cardona sentenced Jeffrey Carns to 10 years in prison for one of the charges and seven years for the other, but the terms are to be served concurrently, or at the same time, court documents indicate.
Cardona sentenced Joy Carnes to five years for each charge, with the two sentences to be served concurrently, court papers show.
According to the probable-cause statement in the case, Jeffrey Carns repeatedly “spanked” and “hit” the child with 24-inch long wooden stick between Jan. 18, 2018, and Jan. 22, 2018, causing significant bruising and “an open, bloody sore.”
Joy Carns also admitted to hitting the child with the stick. In addition, she admitted to knowing about and allowing her husband to beat the child, and she said she did not seek medical attention for the child, the report said.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Jacob Costello handled the cases.
Jeffrey Carns currently is in Missouri Eastern Correctional Center in Pacific, and Joy Carns is in Chillicothe Correctional Center.