Des Moines parents charged with murder in baby's death

DES MOINES, Wash. – Two parents were charged with second-degree murder after they brought their dead baby son to the hospital and he was found to have multiple serious injuries.

Demond Hudson, 27, and B.J. Meaola Silipa, 26, were charged in King County Superior Court in the death of their 6-month-old son, D.J.

D.J. was born Aug. 14, 2015 and died Feb. 16.

According to charging documents:

Hudson and Silipa brought D.J. to St. Francis hospital on Feb. 16. The baby was cold and not breathing, and doctors weren’t able to resuscitate him.

Doctors found bruises and scratches covering D.J.’s face, and said his eyes were glazed, one pupil was gray, his legs were discolored, his stomach was distended, there was blood in his nose and around his mouth, his head was far too big for his body, and he appeared malnourished.

An autopsy later found that D.J. had 21 ribs that had been broken at varying times, a broken arm, a skull fracture, numerous bite marks, a corneal ulcer, and injuries to his lower lip and gums.

The enlarged head was caused by an ongoing condition known as hydrocephalus, which had gone untreated even after a nurse told Hudson it needed to be looked at by a doctor.

Detectives executed a search warrant for the couple’s phones. On Silipa’s, they found searches in January for things like “big head baby” and “baby groaning in sleep,” but the baby was never taken to a hospital.

After the autopsy, Hudson talked to detectives.

He allegedly told them “I should have listened. I should of just taken my ego out of the way … I have a problem with not listening to my wife or anybody, cause I feel like if I’m right, I’m right. And until you prove me otherwise, I’m right.

“I know where I messed up at. I knew I should have taken him to the damn doctor.”