Shawnee man pleads guilty in death of Merriam girl, 3

A Shawnee man has pleaded guilty in the child abuse death of a 3-year-old Merriam girl.

Kham Khamchanh, 40, pleaded guilty Monday in Johnson County District Court in the January 2014 death of Yamarawit “Yami” Sahle, who was the daughter of his then-girlfriend.

Khamchanh pleaded guilty to intentional second-degree murder.

He admitted that on Jan. 9, 2014, he became angry and threw the little girl to the ground five to 10 times.

He also admitted that he had punched and slapped her on several previous occasions.

According to the doctor who conducted an autopsy, she suffered a skull fracture, bleeding to her brain and abdominal injuries.

Attorneys said that based on Khamchanh’s prior criminal history, he faces a sentence of 165 months.

Sentencing was set for Oct. 15.

This story was originally published August 17, 2015 at 9:18 AM with the headline "Shawnee man pleads guilty in death of Merriam girl, 3."