Court document details texts, injuries in Wichita baby’s case. Dad’s charged with murder

A Wichita father accused in the death of his infant son texted the boy’s mother that he was worried about the baby nearly three hours before police were dispatched, according to a court document released Wednesday.

Devin K. Bemis, 33, is facing a murder charge following the April 26 death of 5-month-old Grayson Bemis. Medical records released last month showed that the boy’s preliminary cause of death was “traumatic brain injury secondary to child abuse, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and chronic respiratory failure,” according to an affidavit filed in Sedgwick County District Court.

Prosecutors last month filed an amended complaint against Bemis charging him with one count of first-degree felony murder, in addition to the two previously filed counts of child abuse, court records show.

The murder count alleges Bemis killed his son, Grayson Bemis, while committing “an inherently dangerous felony” on Jan. 21. The felony crime listed is child abuse. The child abuse counts allege Bemis caused “great bodily harm, abusive head trauma, permanent disability or disfigurement” to Grayson and tortured, cruelly beat, struck or kicked his other infant son on Jan. 21.

In March, a Sedgwick County judge sealed the probable cause affidavit. It was released Wednesday.

According to the affidavit, Devin Bemis was watching his twin infant sons at his apartment in west Wichita on Jan. 21 when he became concerned about Grayson’s welfare.

Part of a string of text messages to the boys’ mother, who was at work at the time, that morning seemed to show that Bemis was worried about Grayson’s health.

Shortly after 9 a.m. that day, Bemis texted the boys’ mother to say he noticed a “mark” on the infant and a bruised nose, which looked “more bruised” than he previously had noticed. At 1:07 p.m., according to the affidavit, Bemis texted the mother that Grayson was bleeding from his nose, to which she replied “on my way.”

She had returned to the apartment at about 11 a.m. that day, according to the affidavit, and noticed that Grayson “was pale and making shallow breaths,” though she “did not think they needed to take Grayson for medical treatment.”

At 1:24 p.m., according to the affidavit, Bemis called 911 because he was “unable to locate a pulse on Grayson.” Nearly 20 minutes later, the document said, a responding Wichita Police Department officer described the baby as very pale. He was transported to Wesley Medical Center shortly after.

It was later found that a CT scan showed that Grayson had a brain bleed that was “explained as trauma and consistent with a high-speed car crash or violent shaking,” according to the affidavit.

Bemis told police when they arrived at his apartment that he noticed bruises on Grayson, but that he didn’t know how they got there.

The affidavit indicated that the twin boys had a doctor appointment Jan. 13 and that the boys’ mother said the visit went well and there were no concerns.

When interviewed, the boys’ mother told police that Bemis enjoys playing video games and that he sometimes had to be asked to help out with the twins, but that she thought that was “typical of a male and new father,” according to the affidavit.

Bemis’ next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, June 11, before Judge Kevin Smith. As of Thursday, Bemis was still incarcerated at the Sedgwick County Jail. He’s being held on a $400,000 bond.