Son gets 12-20 years for dad's beating death

PONTIAC (AP) -- A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to 12 to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill to second-degree murder in the bludgeoning death of his 55-year-old father in suburban Detroit. Patrick Mikes Sr. of Troy was found dead in a cornfield in August 2012. An autopsy showed he was hit in the head at least four times with an object such as a pipe or baseball bat. Prosecutors say Patrick Mikes Jr. dumped his father's body in Genesee County's Montrose Township. Oakland Circuit Judge James Alexander in Pontiac sentenced Mikes on Tuesday. The mental illness provision doesn't affect the sentencing but indicates to prison officials that Mikes needs mental health care. Published: Thu, Sep 12, 2013