How James Saltmarshall Was Wrongfully Accused Of Killing His Daughter

James Saltmarshall rolled on his daughter who was sleeping next to him suffocating her to death

By Rare StoriesPublished 3 years ago • 3 min read

It begins on April 20, 2017, at the Alpine Hotel in Inkster. While holding 8-month-old Janiyah in his arms and watching a movie, James Saltmarshall slept off. When he finally woke up, his daughter was not moving.

According to the news release, the baby's mother went to work the morning of the accident and left her boyfriend, James Saltmarshall, alone with their healthy baby. She was not moving when she was found hours later.

Saltmarshall told police that he was sleeping on a bed next to his daughter, got up to go to the bathroom, and when he came back, the girl was not breathing. He called for help and started CPR on the baby.

Janiyah's body was examined in the hospital where it was determined she had rectal lacerations that implied she was sexually assaulted. The doctors also claimed they found signs of head trauma and shaken baby syndrome.

After he was told his daughter had died and was told the charges that had been brought against him which included first degree murder and sexual abuse of a minor, Saltmarshall was overtaken with emotion before 22nd District Court Judge Sabrina Johnson and cried uncontrollably.

'Wait, wait, this never happened,' he exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, speaking through tears. 'Wait, wait a minute. Can I call my mom, can I please call my mom?'

James crying in court after learning his daughter had died

Aisha Saltmarshall, James' mother told reporters that she had been taking care of the baby until days before the incident, when police and Child Protective Services workers came to her house and made her give the baby to her son and his girlfriend, even though the grandmother said the baby would not be safe with them.

The grandmother said that after Janiyah was taken away from her, she called every county agency to tell them that her granddaughter was in danger, but no one listened to her.

Aisha said that her son's girlfriend had other children taken away from her, and there were accusations and counter-accusations of domestic abuse in their home.

In response to Aisha Saltmarshall's complaints, law enforcement officers claimed that Child Protection Services had taken the decision to have Janiyah returned to her biological parents and that James Saltmarshall had all necessary custody paperwork on hand.

The 22-year-old became a murder suspect was held on $2million bond.

The Story Changes

The charges against a Detroit father were dropped after it was found that the first evidence was wrong.

His attorney said that facing these charges has ruined Saltmarshall's life because the child's death was ruled an accident and there was no sign that the child had been hurt physically.

"They should have never, ever, ever brought charges," Saltmarshall's lawyer said.

There was no evidence of sexual assault, a cracked skull, or shaken baby syndrome. In fact, there was no evidence at all to support the charges, the attorney narrated.

Saltmarshall said he was innocent the whole time between when he was arrested and when the truth came out two months later. His name and mugshot were dragged through the mud on social media because people believed he had committed one of the worst crimes imaginable.

It's not clear when the Medical Examiner's office realized they had made a mistake, but a lot of damage had already been done to Saltmarshall's reputation.

He later filed a lawsuit, he sued the police and the doctors who nearly destroyed his life.