Marquavious Ware received a 10-year prison sentence Monday after pleading guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the death of his 4-year-old son Jhorden Clay.
The sentencing followed a plea deal that reduced original murder and assault charges. Ware, now 23, admitted responsibility for the boy's death in May 2023 at an apartment in Portland's Woodlawn neighborhood.
Court records detail that Jhorden suffered blunt force trauma, a collapsed heart, severe malnutrition, and dehydration. The boy had been left with his father for a planned two-day visit that extended into weeks of alleged abuse, including cigarette burns and widespread bruising.
Ware's attorney stated at sentencing that his client regretted the incident and had not intended for Jhorden to die. The boy's mother, who held primary custody, had reported prior signs of abuse to authorities, and a $17 million lawsuit remains pending against state and city agencies.