Keith Weatherspoon told Denver investigators that his 5-month-old daughter wouldn’t stop crying in the minutes before she died of suffocation.
The 26-year-old said he placed Mahogany face down on a bed and used a blanket to “barricade” her against the wall, then left a pillow on her face, according to court documents in the Feb. 11 death of the infant.
Today, officials announced Weatherspoon has been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.
He told investigators he took a nap after covering up his daughter and that when he awoke two hours later, she was not breathing. He contacted his sister-in-law, who called 911.
Weatherspoon said he cared for his daughter at his home in the 1500 block of Verbena Street in Denver while his wife, Swan, worked.
Weatherspoon is being held without bail in the Denver County Jail.
He has a six-page court record with 39 offenses dating back to 2000, including domestic violence, felony assault, harassment, fugitive charges and numerous drug-related crimes, according to court records.
His first court appearance in his daughter’s death will be Friday morning.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
