Des Moines man sentenced to 60 years in prison for child’s death

DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines man was sentenced Wednesday to 60 years in prison for killing a 3-month-old baby and injuring another child and two dogs last year.

According to court documents, on February 9, 2023, Des Moines police responded to 911 calls reporting an unresponsive 3-month-old child at a home in the 3500 block of E Douglas Avenue. The child’s caregiver, Devin Christopher Luckett, told officers at the scene that the child had fallen off a couch, court documents state.

The child was taken to a local hospital, but was later transferred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for further care. The child died from his injuries two days later.

An autopsy and medical records showed the child died from multiple blunt force injuries to the head and that the child could not have sustained the injuries from falling off a couch, Des Moines police said.

While the investigation into the child’s death was ongoing, Luckett’s 3-month-old son was taken to a Des Moines hospital in August 2023. Medical personnel discovered the child had “multiple rib fractures in various stages of healing and an acute fracture of his left femur,” according to a criminal complaint. Luckett was identified as his son’s sole caregiver when the fractures occurred, nearly a month before the child was taken to the hospital, the complaint said.

Around the same time that Luckett was being investigated for the death of a child and the injuries to his son, he and Zarah Luckett were also being investigated for animal neglect.

According to court documents, two underweight dogs were found in Luckett’s apartment in August 2023. The Animal Rescue League of Iowa said one of the dogs was so weak she could barely stand.

Luckett was charged with first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in serious injury, neglect or abandonment of a dependent, animal neglect resulting in serious injury or death, and animal neglect – no injury/serious injury or death.

Luckett entered an Alford plea to child abuse resulting in death, child abuse resulting in serious injury and animal neglect resulting in serious injury or death. He was sentenced Wednesday to 60 years in prison. He was also fined $150,000.