Atlanta father convicted after relying on prayer to save dying baby

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LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - A metro Atlanta man who relied on prayer, not doctors, to save his ailing baby has been convicted of second-degree murder in the infant girl's death.

WSB-TV reports George Landell was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday after a Gwinnett County jury found him guilty in the March 2015 death of his 11-week-old daughter, Nevaeh.

Prosecutors said the child died from malnutrition after Landell and his wife had been mixing water with breast milk they fed the baby. Landell said he never took the child to a hospital or called a doctor because of his religious beliefs. Instead, he relied on the guidance of a spiritual adviser.

The child's mother, Lauren Fristed, previously pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct charges in the case.

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