Police: Dad blamed 'ego,' lack of insurance for baby's death Prosecutors say a Des Moines couple abused and neglected their 6-month-old infant until his death

A 27-year-old father and 26-year-old mother from Des Moines neglected their infant until he died in February at 6 months old, King County prosecutors allege. A 27-year-old father and 26-year-old mother from Des Moines neglected their infant until he died in February at 6 months old, King County prosecutors allege. Photo: Edward McCain/Getty Images Photo: Edward McCain/Getty Images Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Police: Dad blamed 'ego,' lack of insurance for baby's death 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A 27-year-old father and 26-year-old mother from Des Moines neglected their infant until he died in February at 6 months old, King County prosecutors allege.

Demond Hudson and BJ Silipa have been charged with second-degree murder in the child's death. Each is currently jailed on $1 million bail.

Prosecutors say both parents noticed the child's growing, oversized head, but lied to medical staff about seeking treatment for their child. Hudson, in response to inquiries from several people about the baby's visible bite marks, gave differing reasons for their presence, reports say. Silipa also admits that their son looked blind in one eye, but didn't take action to address it.

Demond Hudson, Jr.'s autopsy revealed a skull fracture, 21 broken ribs and a broken arm, court records indicate. Desmond appears to have been hurt repeatedly over time.

"The abuse of trust inherent in the parent-child relationship and the complete indifference that each of these parents demonstrated to the health and welfare of their infant child, is astounding," Senior Deputy Prosecutor Lisa Johnson wrote in a bail request memo to the court.

Hudson approached the emergency room desk at Federal Way's St. Francis Hospital about 8:30 a.m. Feb. 16, declaring, "Our baby's not breathing," according to Detective Mike Thomas of the Des Moines Police Department.

Medical staff rushed the baby to an examination room, where "medical personnel could readily see that something was wrong," Thomas wrote in the criminal report. The baby was not breathing, his face was covered in bruises and scratches, his eyes were glazed over and fixed open, and one pupil was gray, reports indicate. Furthermore, he was cold, his legs were discolored, his belly was distended and blood covered his nose and mouth. Medical staff could also see that his head was "extremely big" for his body and that he appeared malnourished.

Forty minutes of resuscitation efforts failed, reports indicate.

Hudson explained the blood by saying his son likes to pick his nose. He also reportedly said that about 3 a.m. that morning, he noticed the baby was cold, so he covered him with a second blanket. Later that morning, he said his son "looked like he was puffed up," and that he felt "ice cold" and "rock solid" to the touch, Thomas wrote.

Medical staff alerted police to the baby's death due to his suspicious injuries.

Hudson, who was the baby's primary caregiver, claimed his baby was born with no problems in August. He maintained that the baby never had an accident, such as falling or being dropped, but that the child had been "acting differently" since December. He ate and cried less and vomited more, reports indicate. About a month earlier, he noticed a scratch and mucus on one of the baby's eyes, as well as a bump on his back. Although he acknowledged his son' head was big, he claimed a doctor told him it was normal.

Hudson allegedly said he wanted to take his son to a doctor sooner, but the family's insurance had been cancelled.

He explained the bite marks by saying "I kiss suck him and I'll leave a little mark, oh it's cute," police reports say.

Silipa reportedly told authorities that Hudson explained a black mark on the baby's eye by saying he was squrming during a bath and hit his eye. She allegedly said the baby had not been as active since January and his eyes were crossed most of the time. Silipa verified Hudson's claims that he stopped crying as much and rather emitted a squealing noise. Hudson reportedly told her it was normal, though their roommate suggested they take the baby to the hospital, Thomas's report says.

Though a Women, Infants and Children nurse referred the baby to a primary care physician immediately for his oversized head in December, the physician told police she never saw the baby for that problem, court records say. When the nurse followed up with Hudson, he told her that he had indeed taken the baby to the doctor and that he didn't need to go to the emergency room.

During a second interview, Hudson allegedly admitted that Silipa expressed repeated concerns about their baby's head size, but "he didn't really want to think about it and put it off to the side," reports say. He was worried about the family's lack of insurance and decided to wait until a scheduled appointment in March to address the issue, Thomas's report says.

"I should have listened, I should have just taken my ego out of the way," Hudson allegedly told Des Moines police. "I have a problem with not listening to my wife or anybody cause I feel like if I'm right I'm right. ... I knew I should have taken him to that damn doctor."

Detectives found that both Hudson and Silipa had researched their baby's condition on the internet more than a month before his death.

The autopsy revealed several rib fractures, a fractured upper arm, bruises, multiple bite marks, a possible skull fracture, hemorrhaged gums and hydrocephalous, or a massive fluid accumulation in the brain.

The medical examiner deemed the cause of death to be related to blunt force injury of the head, as well as "extensive acute and chronic injuries of the torso and extremities." The baby also suffered a type of pneumonia, reports say.

The couple was arrested Thursday and charged Friday.

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