Hearing continues Tuesday for boyfriend in James Hutchinson killing

A plea hearing for James Hamilton on four charges stemming from the killing of 6-year-old James Hutchinson in February, will continue Tuesday.

Hamilton, the boyfriend of Britney Gosney, was in the process of pleading guilty Monday in Butler County Common Pleas Court  to kidnapping, gross abuse of a corpse and two counts of child endangering when the hearing was interrupted.

There was some confusion surrounding the possible sentencing and Judge Noah Powers wanted to give Hamilton time to fully understand what was happening. The hearing is set to resume at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Hamilton, 42, is accused of helping to throw James's body into the Ohio River after the boy was killed  his mother, Britney Gosney, tried to abandon him in a Preble County park.

Police said Gosney was pressured to get rid of her children by Hamilton. Records show she had previously tried to relinquish custody of her child, but faced "a number of barriers" when she attempted it.

Investigators said Gosney took all three of her children to a Preble County park on Feb. 26. As she tried to speed away from them, James grabbed for the door handle, fell, and fatally struck his head, police said.

Gosney and Hamilton later admitted they kept James's body in their home for about a day before driving to the Ohio River near Lawrenceburg, Indiana and throwing him in the river, police said.

Gosney surviving children were also "hog-tied" and gagged at some point during the ordeal, according to court documents.

Gosney pleaded guilty to murder and several other charges on Aug. 16. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 13. She faces 15 years to life in prison.

James's body has still not been recovered. Searches of the river are still continuing periodically, Middletown officials have said.