Father confessed killing infant, Philly police say

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) — Texas investigators are in Philadelphia to question a man in custody after confessing that he killed his infant son, whose body was found last week tossed onto the side of a Galveston road near his child safety seat.

Galveston Police spokesman Lt. Jorge Trevino said Sunday that two detectives and two crime scene investigators flew to Philadelphia earlier in the day.

The detectives were going to talk with anybody who had contact with Travis Mullis, the baby’s father. The crime scene investigators were going to look for any possible evidence in Mullis’ car, Trevino said.

Mullis, 21, known as “T.J.,” surrendered to Philadelphia police Friday, telling them he placed the 3-month-old baby on the ground and then stomped on his head three or four times until he felt the skull collapsing, Trevino said.

Mullis has been charged with capital murder in Galveston and his bond has been set at $1 million. He also has a felony charge out of nearby Brazoria County of enticing a child. Alvin police are investigating an allegation that Mullis took an 8-year-old girl from her bed in January, took her to a school or park and asked her to remove her pants.

Neighbors of the family, who were living in a trailer with friends in Alvin, told the newspaper they had many unanswered questions about what happened.

“The same question probably thousands of people got — Why? No matter how much anger you have for somebody, you don’t go to the point of doing that, especially to a baby,” said neighbor James Robertson.

The couple apparently were having financial and relationship problems and often argued, said Robertson’s wife, Lisa.

A Galveston couple found the body Tuesday morning as they drove slowly along a road looking for wildlife.