Dad Jailed For Life For Murdering His Four-Month-Old Son

Ortiz Deion Smothers, Jr. has pleaded guilty to murdering his four-month old son. 

He accepted his guilt in the death of Omar Cortez Smothers in the Houston County Superior Court on Monday morning. 

The 23-year-old was sentenced for felony murder and was given a life sentence in the state penitentiary. But the judge granted him the possibility of parole. 

On the morning of June 12, 2017, Smothers and his son, Omar Smothers, were staying at his cousin’s house. 

Baby Omar was finding it hard to settle and Smothers was getting increasing frustrated.

At around 7.30am that morning the young father – who was looking after Omar alone – wrote how tired he was on Facebook.

According to The Macon Telegraph, Smothers wrote: “Omar was being the biggest cry baby right now, and I’m tired.” 

By half ten that morning, Smothers wrote that the baby had gone to sleep and he was about to smoke some weed.

Later that morning, an adult and other children in the home say they, “awoke to Omar screaming.”

Smothers told them to call for help after they saw Omar unresponsive and the side of his head beginning to swell.  

First responders arrived at the address at 10.50am and Omar was taken to Navicent Health’s pediatric I.C.U.

Specialist doctors confirmed that Omar had severe fractures in his skull. They believed the injuries were not consistent with any sort of accidental fall. 

Tragically on June 13, Omar was pronounced brain dead and taken off of life support.  

After an investigation into the death, authorities found that Smothers was the only person with Omar during the time of the injuries. 

Several witnesses said that nothing was wrong with the child earlier that morning before Smothers was left alone with Omar.  

The Macon Telegraph reports that witnesses confessed to hearing Smothers, “strike the child and cuss at the child.”

They also say he had a “bad temper.”

Meanwhile the rest of the Smothers family are trying to cope with Omar’s senseless death. 

Omar’s grandfather, Ortiz Smothers Sr, wrote an emotional message on Facebook two days after his death.

He wrote: “I have been pretending this was a dream but I keep waking to the same results. Omar Cortez Smothers u have gained your wings way too early. Love u and sorry we didn’t get to do grandad and grandson stuff. R.I.P.’ 

Smothers will be eligible for parole after serving a minimum of 30 years.