Florida father who fatally beat 6-week-old son said he was ‘stressed’: authorities

Authorities in Florida said a 25-year-old man, who was arrested and charged in connection with the beating death of his 6-week-old son, told police that he committed the crime out of stress. 

Per WKMG, Edrick Lamar Davis’ infant son died from a severe brain injury as a result of the beating. Melbourne police said the fatal June 10 incident occurred at a home in Mount Carmel Lane, and officers responded to the said address to investigate a report about a child unable to breathe. 

Paramedics executed CPR on the infant before he was transported to the hospital. He was, however, later pronounced dead. A subsequent autopsy by the Brevard County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the baby suffered a fatally severe brain injury, resulting in his death being ruled as a homicide. 

In the wake of the baby’s death, Davis in an interview with investigators initially said he could not tell how his son suffered the injury, but he admitted to striking the infant, per WKMG. Davis said he used his knee to hit the back of his son’s head at least two times, adding that he committed the act after the baby’s mother went to the shower. The arrest affidavit also stated that the 25-year-old suspect said he kneed his baby because he got “stressed” as a result of the 6-week-old victim being fussy and crying.

Davis, who is being held without bond, has since been charged with first-degree felony murder of a child and aggravated child abuse. His next court appearance is set for July.

In 2023, Face2Face Africa reported that authorities in New York had brought a murder and manslaughter charge against a man after he allegedly shook his 3-month-old daughter to death because “she was screaming” and wouldn’t stop crying.

According to ABC7 New York, the suspect, identified as Damion Comager, called his parents on May 14, 2023, when he later realized his daughter Genevieve had died after he shook her. In the wake of the incident, Comager is said to have panicked and disposed of his daughter’s body at the Major Deegan Expressway after putting her in a bag. The location wasn’t too far from the shelter where they were staying.