Victim’s 6-Year-Old Could be Killer, Expert Says

By D.C. Witness Staff - October 3, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Juveniles | Suspects | Victims |

A forensic pathologist said that a six-year-old jumping on her baby brother could have fatally injured him.

James Embre is charged with felony murder, first-degree cruelty to children and second-degree cruelty to children for his alleged role in the death of two-year-old Aceyson Aizim Ahmad on the 3400 block of A Street, SE on April 17. According to court documents, Embre, 26, was involved in a romantic relationship with Ahmad’s mother.

A forensic pathologist said Aceyson’s injuries could not be pinpointed to a specific type of blow to his abdomen area but the sister’s jumping on the boy could not be ruled out as a cause of death because of the injuries the baby sustained.

Defense counsel, Jonathan Zucker, called the pathologist to the stand because he did not agree with an earlier opinion, from a forensic anthropologist, who said an adult’s fist was the only way the injuries could have been caused.

D.C. Witness previously reported that the anthropologist testified that the baby’s injuries were inconsistent with a child jumping on Aceyson because his liver “would’ve not only been cut, but also smashed.”

However, the pathologist said he disagreed with the anthropologist’s opinion. The pathologist said some of the liver was actually smashed and “appeared to have some matter missing.”

“The constellation of bruises do not formulate markings of knuckles which means there’s nothing that could really tell me that he was punched as opposed to being jumped on,” the expert said.

The pathologist said he agreed with the autopsy report, Aceyson died due to blunt force trauma and the manner of death was a homicide.

During the prosecution’s rebuttal, the forensic anthropologist, who testified earlier in the trial, said that she believed the injuries, “came from only a grown man punching Aceyson multiple times while Aceyson was laying down on a hard surface.”

She also said that since Aceyson’s bruises were on his sides, it wouldn’t make sense that a child jumping on him would cause those bruises on those locations.

The defense and prosecution rested their cases after the experts testimonies.

Closing arguments are scheduled to begin on Oct. 3.