BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A Baton Rouge man convicted of trying to hide a toddler’s death by putting her body in a suitcase and dumping it in Mississippi was sentenced to life.

RELATED: Man found guilty of second-degree murder, obstruction of justice in death of Nevaeh Allen

A judge sentenced Phillip Gardener to life in prison after he appeared in the 19th Judicial District court Wednesday for charges including second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

Gardner was accused of covering up the death of Nevaeh Allen after she was allegedly beaten and found unresponsive in her family’s home in 2021. Prosecutors alleged that Gardner attempted to drive the toddler’s body across state lines after his then-girlfriend, Lanaya Cardwell, allegedly beat her.

In addition to the life senten

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