A “FRUSTRATED” daycare owner is accused of battering an eight-month-old baby to death while changing his diaper in Arkansas.
Erin Sauls, 23, was arrested after an investigation into the killing of Elijah Flowerday, but pleaded not guilty to the capital murder charge.
When police arrived at her home in the city of Little Rock, she told them she had a headache – leading her to smash the infant’s head on the floor multiple times, according to a report obtained by KARK.
After the alleged savage beating, it is claimed that little Elijah became hot and sweaty.
Sauls gave him a bottle – but 15 minutes later, he became unresponsive and stopped breathing.
First responders performed CPR while en route to a local hospital, but the victim was pronounced dead shortly after amid the brutal skull fracture and brain bleed.
The suspect‘s alleged confession matched the injuries the boy suffered, according to police.
Sauls appeared in court on Monday for a plea and arraignment hearing. A bond hearing was scheduled for June 5.
Elijah’s family attended the hearing, and his aunt told the outlet that they just want justice.
“She pled not guilty,” said his aunt, Brianna Russell. “Right now, we have the decision of the death penalty even being an option.”
Russell described the moment that she found out her nephew had died.
“My little sister and my mother gave me a call,” she recalled. “They were screaming over the phone. You could barely hear what they were saying.
“And my little sister in the background just kept repeating that, ‘she killed her baby’.”
All Russell wants from this case is “fair and just punishment,” adding: “You want like some kind of responsibility, someone to take the responsibility and the punishment.”
A GoFundMe for the eight-month-old has since raised nearly $18,000 of a $20,000 goal.
“This tragedy has left Isaac, Trinity, and their son Laylon heartbroken as they grieve the loss of their son and little brother,” it said.
An obituary published by Russell at the end of 2025 described the boy as “a light in our eyes” and as a “beautiful, pure baby.”
“The minute Elijah entered our world we knew that he was the type of soul that brought light to even the darkest of days,” she wrote.
“Elijah Grey Flowerday was a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, and a cousin. Elijah has the most incredible support system and to have to watch each and everyone of his family and friends lose the light of their day is soul crushing…
“At only 8 months old my nephew… my sister’s beautiful, pure baby boy was ripped from our lives in the most unjust way….
“The Memories of our baby boy will never be forgotten. Elijah is now our family’s angel who will continue to watch over his family until the day we meet again.”
