Man found guilty of fatally beating mother of his 3 children

A Coram man was found guilty Wednesday in the 2016 beating death of the mother of his children.
Bryan Bethea, the father of Shantel Scott's three children, had been charged with manslaughter in the first degree but was found guilty of manslaughter in the second degree.
Prosecutors say Bethea grabbed Scott and threw her to the ground while at a party last year at Scott's home in Central Islip. 
After the fight, Scott went to sleep and never regained consciousness. She had a fractured skull and a brain bleed. Investigators say Bethea caused the head trauma that led to Scott's death. 
Defense attorneys claimed it wasn't Bethea who caused the fatal injuries. They say she had been critically injured in a fight with two other women who were at the party. 
During deliberations, the jury wanted to hear the testimony of a witness and the medical examiner for a second time before reaching a verdict.
Kerri Wilson, the victim's mother, says she is trying to move forward and stay strong for the grandchildren she is now raising. 
"It's not easy, but I put on a happy face for these four grandchildren I have looking to me every day," said Wilson.
Bethea is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 10.