Arthur Milligan, 29, of Pahrump, was sentenced Tuesday by Fifth District Judge John Davis to life in prison for second-degree murder and another 10 years to be served consecutively for child abuse in the death of his four-month-old daughter.

Milligan will be eligible for parole in 10 years on the murder count and eligible for parole in two years for the child abuse charge.

The sentence is the result of a plea agreement with the Nye County district attorney's office in which Milligan agreed to plead guilty in August.

A confidential informant testified at the preliminary hearing that Milligan picked up the child by the neck and squeezed her because she wouldn't stop crying July 13, 2005. Milligan also told investigators he shook the baby. The case has been described as a classic case of "shaken baby syndrome."

Public defender Jason Earnest said Milligan was in a relationship involving drugs at the time and was irresponsible. Milligan was inconsolable over the death when he met him in jail, Earnest said.

Nye County Chief Felony Prosecutor Kirk Vitto said the district attorney's office was impressed Milligan was sorry for the incident. But Vitto added, "We feel he needs to be punished for the life he's taken out of this world."

Vitto referred to the medical records which showed the baby suffered multiple skull fractures and a detached retina as evidence. It wasn't just one incident but a series of abuse taking place over a period of time.