Schoolgirl, eight, accused of killing one-year-old baby to 'deal' with his crying

A tearful toddler has allegedly died at the hands of an eight-year-old girl who tried to comfort him while the pair were left unsupervised at a child care centre overnight.

The body of one-year-old Corey Brown was reportedly found by Michigan police on Friday in a bedroom at 'Keysha Keepers' child care. Paramedics had been called to the scene when the little boy's mother, Bryanna Reasonover found him unresponsive in a play pen following an overnight stay with three of his siblings. They performed CPR but were unable to save the toddler.

Muskegon Police Chief Jeffrey Lewis told local media police were unsure how the baby died because there wasn't an adult present at the time. Ms. Reasonover said she noticed bite marks and bruises on his face. 

He explained little Corey had been crying and "the eight-year-old dealt with the baby crying". He said the older child may well have come to the boy's aid when he got upset, but that could have cost him his life.

Officers are trying to piece together what happened, but the only key witness in the case is another child aged just five.

The Police Chief said detectives had reason to believe there were adults in the house — which is licensed to provide day and night care for up to 12 children — at the time.

"I do not know what they were doing, but I do know they were not in this area or this would not have occurred", he told local radio station, WZZM13.

Lewis said he had struggled to come to terms with the death.

"I thought I saw everything", Lewis said. "This one floors me. I can hardly get a grip on it".

An 8-year-old girl has spoken to police and been seen by a child psychologist, but no charges have been laid.