Florida Father Claims His 6-Week-Old Son Died After 'Accidentally' Hitting Head on Knee: Police
Edrick Lamar Davis was charged in the death of his 6-week-old son, who he claimed to 'accidentally' bash in the head with his knee, police said.
June 24 2024, Published 4:01 p.m. ET
6-Week-Old Florida Boy Dies
A six-week-old Florida boy was found unresponsive inside his home, police said.
Police in Florida say a man has been charged with the death of his 6-week-old son after he allegedly admitted to “accidentally” bashing his head.
Around 11 a.m. on June 10, police were called to a home in Melbourne for an infant not breathing, according to court documents obtained by WOFL.
'No Idea What Happened'
The child was rushed to the hospital, where he died, police said.
The baby was transported to a local hospital, where he died, officials said.
At the scene, officers said they talked with the baby’s father, 25-year-old Edrick Lamar Davis, who said he had no idea what happened. According to police, Davis said he fed the newborn, went to take a shower, and then found him unresponsive when he returned.
Autopsy Report
The Utah mom and her boyfriend are each facing 29 charges in the alleged child abuse case, officials said.
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The baby’s mother reportedly told police that she had gotten up that morning and fed the child. Then, she left her son alone with Davis for about 25 minutes while she got in the shower, WFTV reported.
On June 11, an autopsy was completed and revealed internal injuries caused by blunt force trauma, multiple hemorrhages, fractures, and other signs of severe trauma, authorities said.
A Second Interview
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Law enforcement officials said the injuries appeared to have been caused intentionally just before the baby died. They also noted the autopsy found older rib fractures, which indicated alleged prolonged physical abuse.
When Davis was reinterviewed, police claim he allegedly told detectives that he “accidentally” slammed his son’s head on a door frame while carrying him and then “forcefully hit the back of (the child’s) head with his knee while trying to prevent him from falling out of his arms” later on.
A Third Interview
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On June 19, police interviewed the parents for a third time when they came to the police station to drop off the child’s medical records.
During the interview, Davis allegedly admitted to forcefully whacking the infant’s head on his knee at least two times because the child’s fussiness and crying made him stressed, police said, noting the father continued to claim the incident was unintentional despite describing in detail the events that led to the baby's death.
Davis was arrested and charged with first degree murder and aggravated child abuse, officials said.
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