Trial in infant’s death set for 2016

A Jan. 4, 2016, trial date was set in the case of a Gardnerville Ranchos man accused in the death of his infant daughter.

Trent Lawrence Getty, 23, entered an innocent plea on Tuesday to a charge of murder in the first degree in Douglas County District Court.

Getty waived his right to a trial within 60 days. He’s being held in Douglas County Jail without bail.

The trial is expected to take 4-5 weeks, Judge Tod Young said. He ordered the bulk of motions in the case be completed by Oct. 5 in preparation.

Getty brought his unresponsive daughter Ava to the emergency room in the early morning hours of Jan. 7. He was questioned and released that morning before investigators learned Ava might have been the victim of a blow to the head.

A warrant was issued for Getty’s arrest while Ava was kept alive for three days. She was taken off life support on Jan. 10, the same day Getty was taken into custody at a Sacramento bus station.

Getty has been in custody ever since.

On April 24, a preliminary hearing found there was sufficient evidence to try Getty on the crime. At that hearing, Washoe County Medical Examiner Dr. Ellen Clark testified Ava died of blunt force trauma to the head.

“It is in my opinion that Ava’s injuries and aggravated injuries happened at the hand of another individual,” Clark said.

However she could not say what caused the injury.