Little Karter Smith, one of a set of twins, had barely been alive when his 25-year-old father, Anthony Dearmas beat him because he wouldn’t stop crying. Dearmas told police he punched the child, who then fell from the couch, but the coroner is telling a different story. Now Dearmas is facing a murder charge. Karter died on Saturday morning from injuries the baby received the previous Wednesday.

Baby Karter rushed to the hospital after the beating

As reported by WDSU, it happened at the family’s home in the Eagle Lake Mobile Home Park, north of the town of Slidell.

Shortly after the incident happened, a family acquaintance arrived on the scene.

Ganarro Johnson said after entering the home, he immediately dialed 911. Johnson said the baby was lying – looking like he was dead – in his father’s arms and Dearmas refused to give the baby to anyone. Paramedics rushed to the Slidell home and were able to revive the infant. They took him to a local hospital, but the baby passed away on Saturday.

Father admitted to beating his infant son

According to the police, Dearmas initially made up a story about the incident but did later admit he had punched his infant son. The St. Tammany Parish coroner, Dr. Charles Preston, said it looks like Dearmas could have smashed the child on a hard surface on the one side, then flipped him over and smashed him on a similar hard surface on the other side.

The child had suffered seven skull fractures that couldn’t have been caused merely by a fall a couch. The coroner’s office believes it was more likely the child’s wounds were a direct pressure injury, like stepping or kneeling on the baby’s head.

Sheriff and Coroner’s offices horrified by the crime

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith cannot understand how someone could do this to a defenseless infant, especially the child’s own father.

Both the sheriff and the coroner said crimes involving infants are difficult for their employees to handle. Smith said the current incident was a very brutal crime, which affects both agencies, adding that it is disgusting to them all to have to work on something like this senseless death. The coroner ruled the incident a child abuse homicide after determining the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.

Neighbors reportedly said the couple has a violent relationship, but no one expected that something like this would happen.

The death penalty too easy for Dearmas

4WWL quotes the baby's grandmother, Felicia Jenkins, as saying while her daughter was at work on Wednesday, Dearmas was at home with his sons Karter and twin brother Karmelo, and their mother’s other child, a three-year-old brother. Asking God to have mercy, Jenkins told 4WWL that the death penalty would be too easy for Dearmas, adding that he needs to suffer for his actions and remember what he had done to his own child.

The family has set up a GoFundMe account in an attempt to raise money for a funeral for little Karter.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED