A man has been found guilty of second degree murder after he and his wife burned, beat and killed a 4-year-old boy in November 2003.

WWLTV

John Sylve and his wife Sharon, who pleaded guilty to first degree murder, now face life in prison for the killing of Troy August.

John Sylve and his wife Sharon, who pleaded guilty to first degree murder, now face life in prison for the killing of Troy August.

August came to live with the Sylves after his drug-addicted mother passed him off to a relative, who then passed him off to the Sylves.

John Sylve admitted on stand that when he and his wife Sharon took in August, the boy was physically fine. Five weeks later he was dead.

In court, graphic pictures of August’s corpse – which was burned so bad that his skin was falling off – were shown.  

WWLTV

Troy August was murdered in November 2003

Sylves said that his wife did the majority of the beating, but he admitted to spanking and hitting August, even in his final days.

When asked why he didn’t take the child to the hospital, Sylves said that his wife didn’t want him to.

“So you let him die so you wouldn’t get in trouble?” said Assistant District Attorney Scott Gardner.

Sharon Sylves pleaded guilty earlier to first degree murder charges to avoid the death penalty.