A Buffalo jury needed only about an hour to convict 28-year-old Elijha Q. Rogers of second-degree murder in the death of his 3-month-old son, Kanai James Cureton. The infant was found dead on May 23, 2025, at a home on the 300 block of Tonawanda Street, and prosecutors said Rogers waited roughly eight hours before seeking help for the unresponsive baby.
The verdict came after a four-day trial, according to WIVB, which reported that jurors deliberated for about an hour before finding Rogers guilty. Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane said in a release that the verdict followed that four-day trial, per the Syracuse.com Express Desk. Rogers, of Buffalo, remains jailed without bail and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 14, facing 25 years to life in prison.
What Happened on Tonawanda Street
Police and paramedics were called to the Tonawanda Street home for an unresponsive infant on May 23, 2025, and Cureton was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Audacy. Prosecutors told jurors that Rogers continued to observe the unresponsive baby for approximately eight hours without seeking any help or medical assistance, per the same report.
The Erie County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Cureton's death a homicide caused by blunt-force head trauma, according to WKBW. The infant suffered head trauma, a spinal injury and a fractured rib, injuries the DA's office attributed to Rogers, the station reported.
Sentencing Set for December
Rogers is due back in court Dec. 14 for sentencing, where he faces a term of 25 years to life in prison, according to the Syracuse.com Express Desk. He remains held without bail in the meantime. An earlier Erie County District Attorney's Office announcement from an October 2025 arraignment had listed the defendant as Elijah Q. Rogers, 27; later reports on his conviction identify him as Elijha Q. Rogers, 28, and that spelling and age are used throughout this report.
