A Texas father was sentenced this week to life in prison for abusing his twin daughters to the point that one of them died.

The girl’s stepmother was previously convicted on similar charges and sentenced to life in prison, according to KBTX.

Justin Hopper was convicted on Thursday of injury to a child with intent to cause bodily injury for the abuse heaped upon his 6-year-old daughters. Initially, only his wife, Jessica Bundren, was charged, as CrimeOnline reported.

Bundren reportedly admitted to “disciplining” Arianna Batelle for wetting the bed but told police the girl fell down the stairs. Her story changed when investigators found puncture marks on the girl’s body that appear to have been inflicted by metal rivets on a belt that was found in the home.

Police blamed both for use of the belt and a wooden paddle to beat the girls.

Hopper and Bundren both tried to place the blame for the girl’s death on each other, KBTX reported, but in the end, both were convicted.

At his trial, Hopper’s friends and his father testified that he was a loving father until he married Bundren. The jury didn’t buy it and took just 15 minutes to return a guilty verdict.

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[Featured image: Justin Hopper, Arianna Batelle, and Jessica Bundren/police handout]