ANTONIO BURKS - 6 Months - East Lansing MI

EAST LANSING - When 6-month-old Antonio Burks arrived at Sparrow
Hospital on March 25 not breathing, bruises on his face and abdomen, his
body temperature was so cold a thermometer could not get a reading.In
fact, Dr. Martin Romero testified Friday at a preliminary hearing in
54B District Court, the infant was suffering from severe hypothermia.
Antonio already might have been dead as long as six hours, Romero said.


Antonio's father, 27-year-old Yumar Burks, has been charged with murder and child
abuse in connection with his son's death. The hearing, which will
continue June 24, determines if the case advances to trial.Burks'
wife, Sheretta, has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault involving one
of her other two young children, officials said. Both children have been
placed with relatives. Burks is not their father.In
an interview with an East Lansing police detective three days after
Antonio died, Burks took responsibility, saying it was an accident,
although his explanations often didn't make sense, Detective Sherief
Fadly testified."He said it was him - 'You got your killer. It was me,' " Fadly said.According
to Fadly: Burks said after he gave Antonio a bottle and covered him -
over his head - with a blanket, Burks fell asleep next to his son in an
adult bed. It was the night of March 24, and Burks' wife was not yet
home from work.Burks later woke up, realized that Antonio was underneath
his back and heard the infant gasping for air.Burks went into a "state of panic,"
Fadly said, and began to shake the infant, yelling at him to breathe.Burks
put Antonio on the floor, pushed down on his chest and then started
punching him on both of his sides "as hard as he could," Fadly said.Burks
told the detective he punched the infant with a closed fist more than
15 times and eventually had to wipe blood and what he believed was feces
from the infant's mouth.Burks added that he slapped the infant and opened
a window to help him breathe better.He then decided to give him a bath.
"He was very scared. He was panicking," Fadly testified. "He didn't know what he was going to tell his wife."
Burks' attorney, Mike O'Briant, said outside the courtroom that he
hoped prosecutors do not base their entire case on Burks' statements,
which he said were made during a time of severe grief.Sheretta
apparently worked until about 11 p.m. and picked up the other two
children from a family member before bringing them home to their Deer
Path Lane apartment in East Lansing, according to testimony.After pulling Antonio
from a bath that began with cold water, Burks said he dropped him onto the floor,
Fadly said.The infant began shaking, and Burks said he dried him off, dressed him and put him to bed."He
was hoping (Antonio) would be fine in the morning," Fadly said.
Sheretta checked on Antonio that night and thought he was fine, Fadly
said.When the couple woke up the morning of March 25, Antonio wasn't breathing.Someone
called 911, and when East Lansing police Officer Scott Sexton arrived,
he saw Burks on his knees next to the crib mattress, attempting to
perform CPR on the infant.As
Burks did compressions with both hands on the infant's chest, "the baby
was going up and down on the mattress," Sexton testified.Sexton
said Burks was doing CPR as if for an adult and immediately Sexton and
another officer stepped in and took over until paramedics arrived.At
the hospital, after a doctor told Burks his son was dead, he had to be
restrained from trying to hold his son. Sexton and several security
guards strapped him to a hospital gurney.
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20110611/NEWS01/106110321/East-Lansing-dad-told-police-he-hit-shook-infant-son?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

EAST LANSING - A 27-year-old East Lansing man accused of beating his infant son to death will stand trial, a judge ruled Friday.



Yumar Burks is charged with murder and first-degree child abuse in the death of his 6-month-old son, Antonio.At
a preliminary hearing that ended Friday in 54B District Court, Judge
David Jordon said there was an "abundance of physical harm" to Antonio
and "an abundance of testimony that it was caused by (Burks)."The hearing, which began earlier this month, was to determine if there was enough evidence for a trial.In previous testimony, East Lansing police Detective Sherief Fadly said Burks told him the death was an accident.Burks
said he fell asleep on top of his son the night of March 24, woke up
and heard the infant gasping for air, Fadly testified.Burks
went into a "state of panic," Fadly said. His wife had not yet returned
home from work. Burks then put Antonio on the floor and started
punching him on both of his sides "as hard as he could," Fadly said.Burks
told Fadly he later bathed his son, accidentally dropped him on the
bathroom floor, and put him to bed. Burks and his wife called 911 the
next morning when the infant was not breathing.Burks'
attorney, Mike O'Briant, said his client maintains his innocence and
that Burks' statements were made during a time of severe grief. O'Briant
noted a forensic pathologist's testimony Friday ruled out evidence of
prior abuse.When
he arrived at Sparrow Hospital on March 25, Antonio had numerous
injuries, including at least 20 bruises on his chest and abdomen, and
damage to internal organs usually seen in victims of high-speed car
crashes, according to testimony.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20110625/NEWS01/106250310/East-Lansing-man-stand-trial-his-infant-s-fatal-beating?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE