VIERA, Fla. (Court TV) — A man who admitted to killing a 3-year-old child found beaten and stabbed stayed silent during his sentencing on Monday, as his family members pledged to him their undying support.
Joshua Manns appears at his sentencing on June 22, 2026. (Court TV)
Joshua Manns, 30, pleaded no contest to multiple charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated child neglect and child abuse in the death of Jameson Vance as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
“There are times things happen that we just don’t understand. We wonder why God allowed it to happen and the only thing we have to hold onto is our faith and hope and trust in God,” Manns’ mother said in Court on Monday, testifying remotely via Microsoft Teams. “I didn’t have the privilege of meeting [Jameson] in person, but Josh and him would FaceTime me. He was the sweetest and most precious loving little fella with the cutest little smile. I will remember and cherish those conversations.” Manns’ mother continued, saying, “I am honored to be his mama. We are proud of him. We will visit him and always be there for him. We always support him and help him in any way we can. We love him and always will. Family is always and forever.”
Jameson Vance, 3, was killed in June 2021. (Family photos)
Manns’ brother, Dakota Manns, also spoke at the hearing. He remembered Jameson as a “sweet kid” who liked playing with toys and watching Paw Patrol. “As for my brother, I’ve always known him and he does have a good heart,” he said. “And he’s always been there for me as well. I pray that we all heal from this.”
Jameson died in June 2021; prosecutors say that Manns and the child’s mother, Erica Dotson, abused the child for months and caused injuries that included broken bones, brain swelling and stab wounds. While Manns had initially claimed that the child accidentally drowned in the bathtub, the medical examiner determined the child actually died from “severe, ongoing physical abuse.”
“I have spent countless hours with [Joshua Manns] over the last five years,” Manns’ attorney, Michael Pirolo, said. “I will be the first to say that he should have, could have, helped Jameson. He knows that. He’s going to have to live with that for the rest of his life.”
Erica Dotson (Brevard County Sheriff’s Office)
Manns did not speak at Monday’s hearing; the judge sentenced him in line with the plea agreement. Manns was sentenced to 60 years for murder, and the sentences for the other charges will all run concurrently.
Dotson is scheduled to stand trial next month after pleading not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and child abuse in her son’s death. Prosecutors said that among the evidence they plan to present in her trial are text messages recovered from the couple’s mobile phones that show “they fabricated cover stories, minimized critical injuries to [Jameson] and chose to protect themselves rather than seeking medical help.”
