Khaleah Wall died last Sunday night inside her Fayetteville home. Baldwin initially told police that the girl drowned in the bathtub when he left the room to answer the phone.
Baldwin called a 911 operator and said, "I left my...Well, I'm babysitting this child and I left her in the tub for about five minutes, and when I pulled her out she act like she didn't want to breathe. I tried CPR, I leaned her head back...pressed her nose together...blew into her mouth."
But the medical examiner's report conflicted with his story. It showed that the girl died from blunt force trauma to the abdomen.
Fayetteville police questioned Baldwin for two days before arresting him at his Robeson County home.
"It doesn't seem like he would hurt anybody," says Shima Goins, the victim's neighbor. "I've seen him with baby. Before this happened, he's never done anything with the baby that I know of."
Baldwin is charged with first degree murder, first degree sexual assault and taking indecent liberties with a child. He is being held at the Cumberland County jail.
Baldwin is being held without bond.
Police did not say whether any more arrests would be made in this case. "It's still a very sensitive case and at this point we're not going to make any real comments on how the crime was committed," Fayetteville Police Sgt. Tim Hayworth says. "We don't want to actually cause the investigators to have any problems with this case."
Kahleah Wall was buried Wednesday. ,Julie Moos
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