Lincoln man sentenced to 85 years in prison for death of 22-month-old boy

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – A Lincoln man convicted of abusing a 22-month-old boy to death in 2023 was sentenced Tuesday to 85 years to life in prison.

Joshua Tackett, 33, was found guilty in July two counts of intentional child abuse resulting in death and distribution of a controlled substance near a school.

A Lancaster County judge sentenced Tackett following a compelling victim impact statement from the child’s father.

“Rudy Jr. really deserved to live a full life, and sometimes I blame myself for not making sure that happened,” Rudy Requejo-Ibarra said.

“What you did to me and my family has truly turned my life upside down,” Requejo-Ibarra said in a statement. “I am still fighting and trying to move forward through my own strength and my children who are still here on this earth.”

The case against Tackett was tried for two weeks, with the jury convicting him on drug and drug abuse charges but acquitting him of three other charges, including first-degree assault and two charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Rudy Jr. was taken to CHI Health St. Elizabeth in March 2023, where staff noticed signs of abuse. He was then rushed to Children’s Hospital in Omaha, where he later died.

According to court documents, the boy’s mother, Brittany Cook, 31, said she found her son unresponsive after leaving him to sleep. Cook, who had been dating Tackett for several months, reportedly told police that her son began to experience frequent bruises and injuries after Tackett came into their lives.

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