Warren County father’s 40-year sentence stands for abuse of 7-week-old with more than 20 fractures

JACKSON, Miss. (VDN) — The Mississippi Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction and 40-year sentence of a Warren County man found guilty of abusing his infant son.

The court on Tuesday affirmed the sentence of Austin Wigley, who was convicted in 2023 of felony child abuse. Prosecutors said Wigley and the child’s mother, Zoie Cantin, were staying with family in Vicksburg in July 2021 when their 7-week-old son, identified by a pseudonym as Reeves, suffered a broken arm and was later found to have more than 20 other fractures in various stages of healing.

Testimony showed Wigley was the only adult with access to the child when he began crying and showing signs of injury. Medical experts testified the injuries were consistent with abuse and could not have been accidental.

In its ruling, the appellate court wrote that after “hearing all the evidence, weighing the credibility of the witnesses, and resolving any conflicting evidence,” the jury convicted Wigley of felony child abuse. Reviewing the case “in a light most favorable to the verdict,” the court said it did not find that the verdict was “so contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence that to allow it to stand would sanction an unconscionable injustice.” The court also rejected Wigley’s claim of ineffective counsel, saying he failed to show that any attorney errors caused prejudice against him.

Wigley’s sentence includes 25 years to serve, 15 years suspended, and five years of post-release supervision.