NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A Hatfield man is on trial for allegedly killing his then-girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter in 2016.
Murder charges weren’t filed until two years later. Prosecutor Brianna Ringwood argued Marquis Thomas almost got away with the killing of 4-year-old Kailee Bunrout.
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The medical examiner who did the initial autopsy ruled the cause and manner of death was inconclusive, saying internal injuries were likely the result of CPR.
But Ringwood said investigators took a closer look two years after Kailee’s death — when her 8-year-old brother ended up in the hospital with what Ringwood said were similar injuries.
The brother later told investigators that when his mom wasn’t around, Thomas would choke him and his sister and press their faces into couch cushions so no one could hear them scream.
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Ringwood said investigators also found out that on the day Kailee died, Thomas Googled “CPR on a child” 20 minutes before he called her mother to tell her the girl was unresponsive. The mother left work and when she got home, she discovered Thomas still had not called 911.
The defense said Thomas treated the girl like she was his own daughter, and they plan to call on medical experts who will show the injuries were from Thomas trying to resuscitate her when he found her unresponsive.