Man convicted in death of star athlete's son being sentenced

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) A man convicted in the death of the 2-year-old son of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is being sentenced in South Dakota. He faces a mandatory life term.

Tyrese Robert Ruffin died in October 2013. An autopsy concluded that the child sustained four blows to the head, causing his brain to bleed. Doctors determined that the injuries could not have been accidental.

In late September, a jury convicted 29-year-old Joseph Patterson of second-degree murder and other charges in Tyrese's death. Tyrese was the son of Patterson's girlfriend and Peterson.

Sentencing is scheduled Thursday afternoon at the Lincoln County Courthouse in Canton.

The second-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison without parole.