A father charged with the murder of his beautiful 10-month-old daughter, who died August 2 of malnutrition and dehydration in western Michigan, shared bizarre posts to Facebook prior to the baby’s death, the Daily Mail first reported.
One photo posted to the Facebook page believed to belong to Seth Welch on July 13 shows a hand-painted sign lining a fence of the family’s Cedar Springs farm with words including, “REPENT BELIEVE OBEY,” and “MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD.”
The father and mother, Seth Welch and Tatiana Fusari, both 27, were arrested Monday after an autopsy report led to murder charges in the death of their infant daughter, Mary Ann Welch.
As previously reported by CrimeOnline, Mary was found unresponsive last Thursday in the couple’s Cedar Springs home, which is located about 25 miles north of Grand Rapids. Welch called authorities and reported the baby as being dead in her crib.
Upon arrival, a responding officer noted Mary’s eyes and cheeks as being “sunken into her head,” according to a police report.
The couple was brought in for questioning and reportedly told detectives that they noticed their daughter’s skinny appearance at least one month before she died. When asked why they failed to seek medical attention for the baby, officials say the mother cited a “fear of having Child Protective Services called, lack of faith and trust in medical services and religious reasons.”
In a post from February 14 that Welch deemed “one of the best ideas” of his life, he speaks of the handmade signs, one that reads, “EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD.”
A post from July 24 speaks of correcting children though physical punishment.
“And teach your children crafts that are agreeable and befitting to religion, lest through idleness they give themselves to wantonness,” the post reads. “For if they are not corrected by their parents, they will do those things that are evil, like the heathen.”
Facebook users have left comments about the baby’s death in the posts, which were still public as of Thursday.
“Maybe put down the Bible and feed your kids,” reads one comment.
In another video from about three months ago titled, “Vaccinations/health/medical industry”, Welch is critical of traditional medical care. Speaking of vaccines he says, “The righteous shall live by faith. It’s God who is sovereign over disease and those sorts of things and, of course, ultimately deaths.”
He speaks of reluctantly getting his first child vaccinated.
When my first daughter was born I was still kind of on the plantation a bit like that…you know I kind of still felt like I had to report to the government willingly and very just, ‘Ok, bring the kid to the doctor.’ Like I was on the fence like I didn’t want to get my kid vaccinated but I was just like, I was afraid you know.
In one post, Welsh suggests that it’s natural to let weaker individuals die.
“It didn’t seem smart that you would be saving people who weren’t the fittest. If evolution believes in survival of the fittest, why are we vaccinating everybody? Shouldn’t we just let the weak die off and let the strong survive?”
Welch and his wife have two additional kids together, a 2-year-old and 4-year-old who are currently under the care of Welch’s parents. CPS filed a neglect case regarding those children against Welch and Fusari on Monday, according to WOOD-TV. On the same day in court, the judge ordered that they have no contact with the children.
The father said at the arraignment that he also has an 8-year-old child, though it isn’t clear who that child resides with.
Welch and Fusari remain behind bars without bond, and their next court appearance is scheduled for August 20.
