DENVER — It's been five months since Denver Police responded to an apartment for a call about a child who was unresponsive. That child 8-year-old Dametrious Wilson died from his injuries, and since his death 9NEWS has been looking into the circumstances.
On June 3, 2022, Susan Baffour, Dametrious' great aunt called 911 to report that the boy was not breathing. They responded to their apartment in the 1900 block of Ulster Street around 8:20 a.m.
Baffour told police she spanked Dametrious the night before. She's since been arrested and is facing charges of first-degree murder and child abuse in connection to his death.
What happened to Dametrious was a nightmare for this family. Less than two weeks after his death on June 15, family members gathered for a tearful service surrounding a small casket.
"The service was beautiful," said Anthony Wilson, Dametrious' father. "He was in all white. I was in all white. His casket was white. Just an innocent little boy."
Candance White remembers that day vividly. While also remembering her first nephew she called "Meechie Mouse."
"He was just so cute. And he had a smile worth a million dollars, he really did,” White said.
Anthony Wilson remembers the time he spent with his youngest son.
"Took him to the park, he was just full of smiles," he said. "Wanted me to swing with him and go down the slides. I was too big, but I did it anyway, that was my son."
In 2017, things began to change for Dametrious and his older sister.
"My sister came to a point where she needed help with the children and just being a mom," White said. "And things weren't going how she would've wanted them to go."
Dametrious was just 3 years old when the Denver Department of Human Services deemed his mother to be unfit. His father was in prison at the time, and that’s when the family stepped in.
"The first person we both thought of was Suzie [Susan Baffour] because she doesn't have kids," White said. "She always took the kids. And you know we knew she would say yes. And just like we thought she said yes."
In February 2017, Baffour took in Dametrious and his older sister. The Denver Department of Human Services had been involved with the family since Dametrious' birth and was involved with his placement with Baffour, according to records reviewed by 9NEWS.
If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected call the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 844-CO-4Kids. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, every day.
"This is how a lot of families do," White said. "Trust somebody with another family member to think everything is OK."
They later learned it wasn't OK but not until it was too late. Now, Dametrious is dead and Baffour is in jail and charged with murder.
"At first I thought she snapped," White said. "I blamed it on COVID. They were in that small place, and she has these two kids. She just lost it.”
As she learned details about her nephew's death, she said it became clear that she was wrong and Baffour had not just snapped.
"Dametrious picked cotton out of the couch. That's the story of how this all supposedly started," White said. "He picked cotton out of the couch, and she was tired of telling him."
It wasn't the first time Dametrious had picked cotton out of the couch, but it would be the last.
"And then it was kind of like, I’m about to show you what I mean,” White said.
According to court documents obtained by 9Wants To Know, Baffour told police "she went to Home Depot to buy duct tape and a back scrubber to whoop him for discipline."
"I don't know if it was wooden or plastic," White said. "It was thick enough where it’s something that wouldn't easily break. And it broke."
Baffour told police she made Dametrious "take his clothes off," the court documents say. She then "taped his mouth, arms together behind him and ankles together." She struck him "altogether about 40 times" all over his body, the document says.
“She made my niece watch the entire time. If she did not watch, she was going to be next,” White said.
On the morning of June 3, Dametrious didn't wake up for school. It was Baffour who called 911 to report he was unresponsive. Dametrious was found on the floor, and Denver firefighters who responded to the scene reported there were welts and bruises on his body.
“My sister called their mom and said, 'my son is dead,' and she was hysterical. I didn't believe her," White said. "I didn't believe it until I called the jail and asked if she was booked. The officer that answered... said Susan Baffour was recently booked on the first degree, and I hung up. That's when I knew it was true and called my sister my sister back and told her it was true."
According to the autopsy performed by the City and County of Denver, Dametrious died of multiple blunt force injuries with abrasions and contusions covering 30% to 40% of his body. The autopsy also revealed multiple scars indicating a history of abuse.
"I was numb," Anthony Wilson said. "Oh my God, I can’t believe she would do something like this. Why? When I heard the details of what happened to my son, it crushed me even more. My whole demeanor just changed man. Oh my God, I can't believe she did this to my son."
Shock and disbelief that the decision to leave a child in the care of someone they trusted would lead to the loss of their innocent little boy.
"I still feel like we're going to go to court and Susan is going to say somebody came in and did this to them," White said. "Something, like, it couldn't have been you. We all trusted you. Your family trusted you with them. Our family trusted you with them. It's hard for me to truly believe this happened.”
Baffour is expected to be in Denver District Court on Friday, Nov. 4 for a preliminary hearing where evidence will be presented and a judge will decide whether the case should proceed to trial.
9NEWS will be in the courtroom.
If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected call the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 844-CO-4Kids. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, every day.
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