Mich. Dad Charged with Killing Two Young Kids

A suburban Detroit man declared, "I didn't hurt my babies," after he was arraigned on murder charges Friday in the drowning deaths of his two toddlers.

A clearly distraught Steven Nicholson could barely say his name as he stood in court just a few hours after prosecutors announced charges in the deaths of 15-month-old Ella Stafford and 13-month-old Jonathon Sanderlin, whose bodies were discovered in Nicholson's apartment.

Nicholson, 27, called 911 in the middle of Tuesday night to say the children had drowned.

When officers arrived, Nicholson was sitting on the floor with the bodies in front of him, Allen Park police Detective Jeff Miller told a judge.

Nicholson told police that he woke up and found the kids in the bathtub but his statements are "inconsistent with evidence found at the scene," Miller said without elaborating.

Nicholson is charged with first-degree murder, murder committed during another felony and child abuse. Autopsies determined the toddlers were scalded. A not-guilty plea was entered.

"I didn't hurt my babies. I didn't hurt 'em. I was sleeping," Nicholson said as he was taken back to jail with his hands cuffed behind his back.

Family members in the gallery told him they loved him. "I know, baby," a woman replied when Nicholson declared his innocence.

Defense lawyers typically aren't present at initial court hearings. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney yet.

The children have different mothers, and neither lived with Nicholson. They were not in the courtroom.