MS man charged in his baby’s murder left Coast courtroom in tears after judge’s ruling
Denilson Elligson cried as a bailiff led him out of a courtroom Tuesday after County Court Judge Robin Midcalf ordered him held without bond pending a grand jury decision on whether to indict him for capital murder in the death of his 4-month-old son.
Elligson, the baby’s primary caregiver and the child’s namesake, is charged with capital murder in the April 23 death of his son he nicknamed Baby DJ. Capital murder is committed with a second felony, in this case, child abuse.
The child’s mother, Angela Ja’Nai Williams, is charged with felony child abuse and hindering prosecution. She is being held on a $300,000 bond. Both are jailed in Harrison County.
During Elligson’s preliminary hearing Tuesday, Gulfport police Detective Justin Clifton testified about how Child Protective Services had been trying to take custody of the child after learning the baby was born addicted to opiates and spent time in a neonatal unit for drug withdrawals.
A month after his birth, in January, a pediatrician documented injuries to the child that are consistent with child abuse, Clifton said. Gulfport police got that information after the child’s death.
Baby died before 911 call
Gulfport police began an investigation after receiving a call about a nonresponsive infant at a home on Lewis Avenue, where the couple was living at the time. CPS, Clifton said, did not know the couple’s new address because they moved around to avoid CPS workers.
Paramedics and doctors said the baby had likely been dead for hours before the couple made the 911 call, Clifton said, because emergency personnel said rigor mortis had already set in when help came. After Baby DJ’s death, CPS took custody of the baby’s 3-year-old sister.
A medical examiner later determined that Baby DJ died of blunt force trauma to the body and asphyxiation.
When Gulfport police first questioned the couple, Williams initially lied about Elligson abusing the child, resulting in the charge of hindering prosecution against her.
Williams, Clifton said, worked, and Elligson was the primary caregiver because he is living on disability due to a work injury.
Getting the baby to ‘snap out of it’
Elligson claimed Baby DJ was active and sometimes held his breath when frustrated. Elligson said he’d pick up his son, put his hands around his waist, and squeeze him until the baby would “snap out of it.”
On April 23, Elligson described doing the same thing again, but the baby died.
Since the baby’s birth, Clifton said, doctors documented various injuries to the child that included a broken arm and at least 16 rib fractures in different stages of healing, Clifton said.
Williams later admitted Elligson had abused their baby and that she and Elligson were using drugs.
Williams told police that she had used the potent painkiller fentanyl during her pregnancy and was still using it. She said that she and Ellingson took turns using the drug so one of them could watch the children.
When investigators searched the couple’s home, they found some old cheese in the refrigerator and expired canned goods in the cabinets, Clifton said. He said there was what appeared to be powdery drug residue on straws and in other places in the house, along with empty pills that had been crushed and snorted and a bong in the bathtub.
Before and after the baby’s death, Clifton said, doctors documented various injuries to the child that included a broken arm and at least 16 rib fractures in different stages of healing, Clifton said.
Defense attorney Lauren Hillary represented Elligson at the hearing.
