The cause of the child’s death was multiple blunt force trauma, said John Bechinski, a forensic pathologist at Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital who conducted the autopsy.

Antonio Burks died March 25. The manner of death was homicide, Bechinski said.

The baby suffered numerous injuries that extended from his head and face “clear down to the left thigh,” Bechinski said. Tears on the child’s mouth indicated suffocation might have occurred, such as placing a hand over the infant’s mouth with a “tremendous amount of force,” he said.

Yumar Burks clasped his hands to his face and wiped tears from his eyes as Bechinski described photographs of the child’s internal injuries to the judge.

The infant’s chest was covered with at least 20 round bruises, Bechinski said.

During interrogations and interviews with police, Yumar Burks admitted to punching his child multiple times.

Any past history of child abuse by Yumar Burks will not be used in this case, which will benefit the defense, Burks’ defense attorney Mike O’Briant said.

In interviews within days of the incident, Yumar Burks did not appear to be under the influence of drugs and seemed calm, East Lansing Detective Sherief Fadly testified.

“I thought he was able to give very coherent answers,” Fadly said. “The only time I found him emotional was at Sparrow — when I brought him back (to the police department) I didn’t see any emotions of someone who had just lost a child.”

At one point, the proceedings halted after Yumar Burks became too emotional and was led from the courtroom.

At the April 5 pretrial, prosecutors and defendants agreed to stall the preliminary examination to determine if Yumar Burks was mentally fit to stand trial after suffering trauma associated with the death of his son.

Evaluations determined Burks was mentally capable of assisting his lawyer.

Threats have been made against Burks’ life since court proceedings began, O’Briant said in a previous interview.

The case has been moved to circuit court and the arraignment is scheduled for July 6.