Father charged with toddler's murder

HOUSTON In October 2007, Darius Jamal Smith called EMS to his apartment and reported that his two-year-old son, Zion, collapsed on the floor. Harris County Sheriff's deputies responded with EMS and determined that investigators needed to be called to the scene. After evaluating the scene and obtaining Smith's account of the events, a homicide investigator determined the evidence did not fit the story given by Smith.

An autopsy by the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office revealed severe trauma to Zion's brain was the cause of death and ruled the case a homicide. On July 8, investigators filed capital murder charges against Smith.

During the investigation into the death of Zion, officials learned Smith's other son, Marco Smith, who was 5 months old, died while in his father's care. No criminal charges were filed in that case.

Smith is in the custody of the Harris County Sheriff. The capital urder case is assigned to the 209th District Court with a "No Bond."

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