Man Found Guilty In Death Of 6-Month-Old Son
LANSING (WWJ/AP) - A 28-year-old East Lansing man has been found guilty of first-degree murder and child abuse in the death of his 6-month-old son.
An Ingham County Circuit Court jury in Lansing reached its verdict Tuesday in Yumar Burks' trial, after just a few hours of deliberation. Burks faces mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole when he's sentenced on Oct. 24.
Burks had testified that the boy's death was an accident. He said his infant son, Antonio, died after he tried to revive him the night of March 24, 2011. Burks described using "adult CPR" as he tried to revive Antonio. He also says he struck the infant multiple times during CPR.
Police have said Burks told them he fell asleep on top of Antonio, woke up and heard him gasping. Police also have said he reported accidentally dropping the child.
"The defendant's explanation of what occurred simply didn't match up with the physical evidence," said Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III.
According to previous court testimony, Antonio arrived at the hospital with numerous injuries -- including bruises on his chest and abdomen -- and damage to internal organs usually seen in victims of high-speed car crashes.
"This was not CPR. This was rage," Assistant Prosecutor Debra Rousseau said.
Burks' attorney, Tom Clement, said of his client in court: "He recognizes he is a bad father. He recognizes he is a failure."
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