Spartanburg man sentenced to almost three decades behind bars for 2019 incident

The 28-year-old Imhotep Norman of Spartanburg was sentenced to 28 years behind bars for the April 2019 incident when he left his 19-year-old daughter to die in a burning car while he fled the scene to avoid police pursuit.

According to the court records, Norman pleaded guilty to all charges including homicide by child abuse, failure to stop for a blue light and siren, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, trafficking methamphetamine and possession of with intent to distribute amphetamine, possession of oxycodone, and possession of xanax.

The 19-year-old victim in the incident was identified as Xena Norman and she died April 12, 2019. The reason for her death was acute carbon monoxide poisoning and thermal burns.

The incident report from the fatal day in 2019 indicate that troopers attempted to stop Norman’s 2015 Hyundai Sonata on Highway 14 near Johns Road for speeding on April 12, 2019. Norman drove over the median of Highway 14 and traveled northbound on I-85.

The vehicle was under fire when troopers finally forced Norman to the right lane of the road near the 60-mile marker. That’s the moment when he completely stopped the vehicle, jumped out of it and fled the scene.

When the fire crews finally extinguishing the fire, Xena’s dead body was found inside the vehicle.

Norman hid himself in a wooded area close to where the incident took place. He was arrested few hours later and he admitted that he acknowledged leaving the child in the car during, thinking that the officers who were chasing him will save her.

When he jumped off the vehicle, the officers saw that he had a black backpack with him headed towards the wooded area. The backpack was recovered shortly after his arrest and authorities found assortment of illegal drugs inside.

Norman will serve 85 percent of his prison sentence before he is eligible for release.