A Murray man who pleaded guilty to murder in the 2023 death of a 17-month-old girl was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in prison.
Calloway Circuit Judge Andrea Moore sentenced Nathaniel Gibson, 23, in accordance with the plea agreement he entered in May. As part of the agreement, a first-degree criminal abuse charge was dismissed.
Gibson and the child’s mother, Chyanne Niemeyer, were arrested in October 2023 after taking Niemeyer’s daughter to the Murray-Calloway County Hospital emergency department with severe burns. The child was later pronounced dead.
A Calloway County grand jury indicted both Gibson and Niemeyer the following month on charges of murder and first-degree criminal abuse of a child under 12. Their cases were delayed for more than a year after Niemeyer’s competency to stand trial was questioned in December 2023. Moore ruled in April 2025 that Niemeyer was competent, allowing the cases to move forward.
The defendants later requested separate trials, with their attorneys indicating they expected to present antagonistic defenses, meaning each planned to implicate the other. Moore granted the request in October 2025.
Gibson pleaded guilty to murder May 18 following mediation in both cases. The plea agreement recommended the 30-year sentence Moore imposed Tuesday.
Niemeyer’s case remains pending. Her trial is scheduled to begin May 10, 2027.
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