A Colombian man sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in the death of his 2-year-old daughter

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY, Ind. – A Columbus man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the role he played in the death of his daughter Tuesday.

FOX59 and CBS4 have confirmed that 41-year-old Jeremy Sweet has pleaded guilty in the case in which he faces three charges, including neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a first-degree felony. The maximum penalty for a first-degree felony in Indiana is 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Previous reports indicate that Sweet and his 2-year-old daughter, Emma Sweet, went missing on Thanksgiving 2021. Some duck hunters later found Jeremy in his truck submerged in the East Fork of the White River.

Jeremy was transported from the area to a hospital to be treated for hypothermia, and law enforcement intensified the search for Emma. Divers later found Emma’s body two and a half miles downstream from where Jeremy’s vehicle was located.

According to court records, detectives spoke with Jeremy the day after his daughter’s body was found. During an interview with police, Jeremy admitted to using methamphetamine and marijuana on Thanksgiving Day.

Police also said Jeremy told them many stories about what happened to his daughter. According to the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, none of Jeremy’s stories were the same.

“This is an absolutely tragic and senseless death,” Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay said Tuesday. “This should never have happened. “Those were decisions made that day that could have been prevented.”

No additional information about Jeremy’s sentence had been made available by the time this article was published.