A father, who was arrested for beating his six-year-old son to death, told the authorities that he was only disciplining the boy for wetting his pants.

Law & Crime reported that suspect Devon Nelson of North Carolina also admitted to the police that he beat his son, Malaki Nelson, for interrupting him on his video game playing.

According to the reports, police officers in High Point arrested the 30-year-old father on Sunday, July 11, after bringing his son into a local hospital, where the child was pronounced dead on arrival.

Devon Nelson eventually disclosed to the investigators that he beat his son with a switch until the "handle broke off" after the boy had wet his pants and interrupted him while in the middle of playing video games.

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Father And His Girlfriend Arrested 

Police charged the boy's father with first-degree murder, while his girlfriend, Tamara Corbett, was also arrested for allegedly hiding what happened after the fact.

Law & Crime reported that the couple initially told hospital employees that some of the marks on the victim's skin were due to eczema. The couple also claimed that the child fell into a bathtub full of water, and that was how he incurred his more serious injuries.

But the medical practitioners claimed that the boy was fully clothed and dry. His body temperature was also over 82 degrees, suggesting that the child may already be dead for several hours before they arrived at the hospital, alarming the staff to call the police.

Police said the Special Victims Unit and Violent Crimes Unit detectives started investigating the death as suspicious, and they "quickly" determined it should be treated as a homicide.

WFMY reported that Devon Nelson and Tamara Corbett went before a judge on Tuesday, July 13. Corbett argued her innocence, claiming that she is working towards becoming a pediatrician.

Six-Year-Old Malaki Nelson Dies

According to WFMY, an arrest warrant revealed that Malaki Nelson had burns on his bottom, bruises on his legs, contusion above his eye, and cuts all over his body. An autopsy report also revealed that he died from blunt force trauma. 

Law & Crime reported that Nelson and Corbett's neighbors had already called the authorities several times and reported hearing what they believed were children screaming from being abused.

Moreover, officials from Malaki Nelson's elementary school also reported that the six-year-old boy went to school with bruises on his face and disclosed to administrators that his father "popped" him in the face.

WFMY also reported that there was already a report of the same child being abused in 2020. Lt. Matt Truitt told WFMY that several agencies such as DSS, social services, High Point Child Advocacy Center, and the police department helped in the case during that time. You can also visit the site and get qualified psychological help there online.  

However, he noted that there was not enough evidence to prosecute or make a charge back then.

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Written By: Joshua Summers

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