Father Accused of Sexually Abusing and Killing Infant Daughter Cleared by Evidence, Charges Dropped

Imagine sleeping beside your beloved infant daughter.

You wake up to find your precious baby unresponsive.

You immediately call 911 for help.

Her death was an accident, but you are accused of sexually assaulting and killing her and are thrown in prison.

While you are locked up, your daughter dies.

You don’t find out that she has passed away until charges are read against you.

You are not permitted to attend her funeral, and you are not told where she is buried.

News of the tragic event spreads like wildfire…and you are labeled a child rapist and murderer.

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This horrific scenario sounds like the plot of a Hollywood crime movie, but unfortunately, this actually happened to James Saltmarshall, a young father in Detroit.

Back in April of this year, Saltmarshall, 22, called 911 for help when he found his daughter Janiyah had stopped breathing.

Janiyah later died at the hospital, and the medical examiner reported finding trauma to the baby’s head, and rectal tearing.

Saltmarshall was charged with murder, first degree child abuse, and first degree criminal sexual conduct following the 8-month-old girl’s death.

He was jailed on a $2 million bond, was then released on a GPS tether.

In a shocking turn of events, yesterday all charges against Saltmarshall were dropped.

From the Detroit Free Press:

Initially, prosecutors accused the father of killing his child by causing trauma to her head and said rectal tearing was observed on her. A medical examiner later determined the baby died of “asphyxia due to overlay” and ruled the death an accident, officials said today.

The medical examiner’s office said the baby’s injuries were consistent with Saltmarshall being asleep and not being aware that he rolled over on the child, prosecutors said.

Saltmarshall’s attorney, Lillian Diallo, told the Free Press that nothing in the medical examiner’s report was consistent with rape of the child.

She said the case should have been investigated more at the beginning and charges “should have never happened.”

“They should have never brought charges; never, ever, ever,” said Saltmarshall’s attorney Lillian Diallo.

“There was no evidence of sexual assault; there was no evidence of a skull fracture; there was no evidence of shaken baby syndrome; there was no evidence at all behind the charges,” Diallo explained.

Diallo said Saltmarshall, who wasn’t ready to speak publicly Thursday, is “sad” and in need of counseling, reports MLive.

She added that his reputation will always be tarnished.

“How do you get rid of the smear … ” Diallo said. “There are people who will believe it forever and ever.”

As the infant’s death was ruled accidental, Diallo says Saltmarshall is trying to move forward and explore his civil options, according to Fox 2.

“You had somebody charged with the most salacious thing you can charge them with. The worst thing — raping and killing his infant daughter — and now it’s a big oops,” Diallo said.