NYC Man Guilty of 2021 Death of 10-Year-Old Boy

A New York City resident has been found guilty in the tragic 2021 case of beating his partner’s 10-year-old son, as announced by Manhattan prosecutors.
The man, identified as Ryan Cato, was convicted by a jury on charges of second-degree murder after just one day of deliberation, according to the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The trial commenced in late January, held in a Manhattan courtroom.
District Attorney Bragg highlighted that Cato had engaged in prolonged abuse against young Ayden Wolfe before carrying out the fatal assault within a Harlem apartment.
“The evidence presented clearly demonstrated the horrific and unfeeling nature of Ayden’s murder,” Bragg said in a statement, emphasizing the severe internal and external injuries sustained by the child.
Cato’s public defender, Jessica Horani, expressed her client’s dissatisfaction with the verdict and indicated plans to file an appeal. “Ayden Wolfe’s passing is nothing short of tragic, yet the verdict of depraved indifference in Mr. Cato’s case does not equate to justice,” she asserted.
The young boy was discovered on March 6, 2021, unconscious and unresponsive in the apartment’s living room after Cato reportedly made a 911 call. Ayden was subsequently taken to Harlem Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
At the time of the incident, authorities concluded that Wolfe was a victim of “fatal child abuse syndrome” and observed multiple bruises covering his body, some recent and others indicating previous harm.