More than two years after being charged in his 3-month-old daughter’s death, a Forsyth County man’s case has come to an end, with his most serious charges being dismissed.
Jacob Picklesimer pleaded guilty Aug. 14 to second-degree child cruelty, while prosecutors dropped counts of voluntary manslaughter and first-degree child cruelty, court records show. He was sentenced as a first offender, receiving seven years on probation and 120 hours of community service.
He was arrested in January 2018 after his daughter, Skylar, died of apparent head trauma, AJC.com previously reported.
Picklesimer, who was 23 years old at the time, told authorities that he found his daughter unresponsive in his bed, the sheriff’s office said at the time. The girl was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Deputies said they learned the child died of “significant trauma to the head,” leading to Picklesimer’s arrest. He was later released from jail on a $38,740 bond.
However, an autopsy performed by the GBI was inconclusive, Forsyth County Chief Assistant District Attorney Sandy Patridge said.
“The cause of death was undetermined,” she said. “The manner of death was undetermined.”
As a result, prosecutors were not able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that negligence by Picklesimer caused the child’s death, leading to the dropped charges. Patridge said the young father was “incredibly remorseful” about what happened, and that he mourned the loss of his child.
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