Eric Carter pleaded using an Alford plea, meaning he doesn't admit guilt but acknowledges that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him. Carter was sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison, said Matt Lively, Wake County assistant district attorney.

Carter was scheduled to go on trial Monday on charges of first-degree murder. His daughter, Tamara Shields, died from a blunt-force trauma to her liver that was discovered when she was found unresponsive in a crib at her Colleton Road home.

Carter told police he didn't mean to harm the infant but had held her down as he and Tamara's mother cleaned the baby's nose. "He conceded that he held her down and pressed her down hard," Lively said.

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.