KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A Kalamazoo man has been convicted for the murder of an 11-month-old child he was babysitting.
On Thursday, November 21st, a Kalamazoo county jury found Bryant Rolland Jr. guilty of first-degree felony murder and first-degree child abuse, in the death of Jaceyon Downing.
The verdict came after a year-long investigation and multiple changes in Rolland’s account of what happened.
Rolland was babysitting Jaceyon and his 3-year-old brother Keegan at his apartment on West Vine Street in Kalamazoo on August 23rd, 2017. Court documents show that Rolland was also watching six of his own children when the incident happened because his wife was at work.
Officers responded to the apartment just after 10:30 p.m. because the baby was having a seizure after Rolland’s wife noticed him.
Jaceyon was taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital, where he later died from his injuries four days later on August 27th.
The Medical Examiner testified that the infant died from several blows to the head, not the kind that would be received in a fall or by accident as Rolland initially reported.
According to Jaceyon’s autopsy report, his cause of death was abusive head trauma.
Rolland later changed his story saying he passed out while holding the infant and fell down the stairs. He was charged by police for murder of the infant in March of 2018.
At the time of the infants death Rolland was serving probation for previous convictions.
After opening statements, the trial began on Thursday November 14th. Attorneys made their arguments on Wednesday, Nov. 20, during the final hearing of the trial.
Bryant Rolland will be officially sentenced on December 16th.
