Caregiver says baby died in accident, autopsy tells different story, IL cops say
A 7-month-old found not breathing in an Illinois home was thought to have died from a tragic accident, until an autopsy found a different cause, police said.
A caregiver for the child told investigators the infant was co-sleeping with a parent when the adult rolled over onto the child, Peoria police said in a June 2 news release. When the parent woke up, the caregiver reportedly said, the child was unresponsive.
The infant, identified as Eland Davis, was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.
An autopsy performed the day of his death revealed the baby died from “abusive head trauma perpetrated by another,” according to the Peoria County Coroner’s Office, which contradicted the caregiver’s statement.
Dwayne Davis, 41, was arrested and accused of killing the infant. He was charged with first-degree murder and endangering the life and health of a child resulting in death, police said.
He is held in Peoria County Jail. Officials said the case is under investigation.
Peoria is about a 175-mile drive southwest from Chicago.
This story was originally published July 3, 2025 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Caregiver says baby died in accident, autopsy tells different story, IL cops say."
