Prosecutors say they intend to seek the death penalty against a man accused of kidnapping and murdering a baby boy and hiding his body.
Ummad Rushdi, 30, pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Delaware County Court to charges including criminal homicide and murder in the first, second and third degree.
Police say Rushdi kidnapped 7-month-old Hamza Ali in early August. The baby is the son of Rushdi's girlfriend.
Upper Darby Police say Rushdi was resentful that Ali was not his child, so he tortured the baby for days and then kidnapped him from the mother's Upper Darby, Pa. home on August 4.
At the Upper Darby home of his parents, police say Rushdi murdered Ali before dumping his body in an undisclosed location.
Rushdi was arrested in York County, Pa. on August 7 as law enforcement launched several searches for the baby's body on land and in the water in Delaware, York and Columbia counties. But despite all the searching, the 7-month-old was never found.
Investigators say Rushdi admitted to murdering Ali during questioning. According to court documents, Rushdi allegedly told police "You will never find that baby" and apparently told a witness he could get away with murder.
Rushdi is charged with murder in the first, second and third degree, two counts of kidnapping, concealment of the whereabouts of a child, abuse of corpse and tampering with physical evidence. He was denied bail.
Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.
