Sacramento Man Arrested For Death Of 4-Month-Old Nephew

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A Sacramento man has been arrested for murder after his infant nephew died in his care.

"I'm not eating, I'm confused and I'm just so scared," Willis Lilly said from behind bars.

The 27-year-old says police have the wrong guy, and he would never harm the baby he was trusted to watch.

"I'm not no murderer, I didn't do nothing," he said.

He says, not a moment goes by that he doesn't try to piece together what happened nearly a month ago inside a south Sacramento apartment.

On the morning of Jan. 11, police responded to the 7800 block of Summersdale Drive after Sacramento fire personnel gave medical aid to unresponsive 4-month-old Demosphesis King. He would later die at an area hospital.

Police learned that Lilly was caring for his nephew while King's parents were out of town. Around 7 a.m. that Friday, Lilly's roommate called for medical assistance because King was reportedly not breathing.

Lilly says he doesn't know how his nephew died, and claims all he remembers is going to get food for the infant at a nearby store before falling asleep.

"I was so tired. I walked in and went straight to the room and went to bed," he said.

Lilly says his cousin and cousin's girlfriend were at the apartment while he slept.

"She woke her boyfriend up, my cousin Ralph, and told him to take it in the other room and left the baby in there with me," Lilly said.

When he woke up the next morning, Lilly says, that's when he discovered his lifeless nephew.

"I woke up and turned on the light in the closet, and I turned around and the baby was a different color," he said.

The baby wasn't breathing and that's when Lilly says he screamed for his cousin to call 911.

However, investigators didn't believe his story and arrested him on a charge of murder.

An autopsy revealed that the infant died from blunt force trauma to the head. Detectives believe King suffered traumatic internal injuries, while in the care of his uncle.

Lilly says he has watched most of his brother's 12 children for years and not once did he ever raise a hand to any of them.

When asked if he thinks that his cousin and his cousin's girlfriend were the ones to blame, Lilly kept quiet for more than 20 seconds before answering "I was asleep."

Lilly was taken into custody Thursday and booked at Sacramento County Jail for the death of his nephew.