Aiden Stein was on the mind of Richland County Prosecutor Bambi Couch Page recently.
"For whatever reason, I wondered how he was doing," she said.
Aiden, 12, died Sunday at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, maternal grandmother Laurie Snyder said. She declined to comment further.
The Plymouth branch of Secor Funeral Homes is handling services, which will be private.
Aiden was the victim of shaken-baby syndrome in a case that drew statewide attention. The injuries happened on March 15, 2004, when Aiden was 4 months old.
The infant was rushed to MedCentral Mansfield Hospital from his East Cook Road apartment before being flown to Akron Children's Hospital. Matthew Stein, Aiden's father, was alone with his son at the time.
Aiden suffered severe brain damage, was blind and deaf, remained in a permanent vegetative state and needed life support.
The prosecutor's office delayed the proceedings to see if Aiden would survive.
"He must have had the strongest heart on the planet because he fought through so much," Couch Page said.
Stein was convicted of felonious assault and child endangering in a 2005 jury trial and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Aiden's father served his full sentence and has always maintained his innocence.
"Matt's mother had been raising the child," Couch Page said. "He (Stein) wanted to go live with her when he got out of prison. (Juvenile Court) Judge (Ron) Spon said absolutely not."
Aiden's father was released from prison in August 2013. He filed a motion for a new trial but was denied in both common pleas and appellate courts.
Common Pleas Judge James DeWeese presided over the case. He addressed Stein at the sentencing.
"You destroyed the potential that baby Aiden had. What could Aiden have achieved?" the judge said in September 2005. "How many years did you take away from Aiden? How many years to you deserve for the years you took away from him?"
Couch Page had not heard that Aiden had passed away.
"Bless his heart," she said.