State seeking death penalty for man accused of killing child

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for a man accused of killing his girlfriend's 10-month-old son in May.

On June 10, Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell filed notice that his office is seeking the death penalty for Dajuan Barnes.

Barnes, 26, was arrested in connection with the death of Jeffrey “Baby J” Phillips III at the home of his girlfriend on May 6.

Leon County grand jurors indicted Barnes on first-degree murder charges May 26. He is also charged with aggravated child abuse and has pleaded not guilty.

Barnes was watching the infant at the west Tallahassee home when he called 911 to report Jeffrey was not breathing and was unresponsive.

Family, supporters gather to bury 'Baby J'

Tallahassee police arrived at the Palmetto Apartments on Blountstown Street where Barnes lived with the child's mother. They found paramedics giving Jeffrey CPR before he was transported to the hospital.

Probes at home of slain 10-month-old centered around drugs

Medical examiners said the infant died of a broken spinal cord and a severed aorta. The ME said it appeared Jeffrey had been slammed against something "so forcefully that it broke the baby's back and caused the baby to bleed to death" within seconds or minutes.

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter.