In a shocking incident, a father allegedly killed his four-month-old daughter by punching her 22 times to silence her “baby talk” while he was watching television.
Cory Morris, 21, from Minneapolis, has been charged with second-degree murder for allegedly punching the baby girl named Emersyn in her face and chest.
According to the charges, Morris called police on August 13 and admitted he had killed his daughter. When police arrived, they found the 4-month-old unconscious on a changing table.
Morris, who was alone watching the child at the time of the incident, told the police he punched the child approximately 15 times in the face and 7 times in the chest with a closed fist, then squeezed her chest with his hands in an attempt to quiet her.
The Hennepin County medical examiner confirmed the baby died from blunt force trauma.
He later called his mother and his wife and said “‘I did something bad’, but didn’t tell them what he actually did,” Hennepin county attorney Mike Freeman was quoted as saying by KMSP-TV.
Morris told the police he was watching TV when his daughter began making “baby talk” noises. He took the baby out of her swing and carried her into a bedroom, placing her on a changing table. Morris said he started punching the baby because she continued to make noises.
According to the criminal complaint, Morris was left to care for the baby girl three to four times a week while his girlfriend worked. His girlfriend reported that Morris went from happy to mad easily, and has grabbed her or thrown things in the past.
“Family members have suggested there may be mental health issues. These will need to be evaluated during the course of this case,” Freeman said.
Morris remains in the Hennepin County jail, with bail set at Rs 13 crore.
(With PTI inputs)
