Father convicted of murdering one-year-old son for life insurance

A Virginia father has been convicted in connection to the murder of his 1-year-old son.

The court reached the decision in the trial of Joaquin Shadow Rams Thursday.

Rams is believed to have murdered the toddler in efforts to collect more than $500,000 in life insurance after his son, Prince McLeod Rams, died while in his care on a court-ordered visitation.

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The court's decision arrived after prosecutors took a deep dive into Ram's odd history of misfortune.

In 2003, his ex-girlfriend was shot and killed. Five years later, his mother died from what police determined was a suicide.

"Either he's the most unlucky bastard on this planet, or he's a killer,'' Hera McLeod, the 1-year-old's mother, said in 2012 after leaving her former fiance.

According to court records, Rams collected over $150,000 in life insurance after his mother's death and attempted to claim as a beneficiary on his ex-girlfriend's policy following her murder.

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During his trial, prosecutors suggested Rams planned to murder his son after he was close to depleting the payout he earned from his mother's death.

But Rams has maintained his innocence in son's death since he was first jailed in 2013. He says his son passed away after suffering a fever-induced seizure.

Defense lawyers are also speculating whether Prince died of natural causes as the cause of death remains "undetermined."

However, the court ruled that Rams would serve life in prison after the defense waived the right to jury in exchange for prosecutors agreeing not to seek the death penalty.