The baby was first brought to the hospital for seizures on the day after Easter in 2010, but doctors could not discover the reason.

Twelve days later the 4-month-old girl returned to the hospital for a seizure and vomiting and was again released.

Five days after that the infant was brought back by ambulance, unconscious and with respiratory failure. She was declared brain dead two days later.

On Friday, a Cass County jury found her father, Moreno Antonio Salinas, guilty of first-degree murder.

Court documents say Salinas plotted to kill his daughter without leaving any marks. He repeatedly threw her on the bed, hung her upside down, shook her and flipped her up and down before literally squeezing the air out of her lungs.

Salinas, 22, is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 28. The penalty is life in prison without parole.

His cousin, Allen Tyrone Green, also 22, faces a first-degree murder trial in the same case next year.

Salinas did not live with his daughter, her mother and other family members in their Peculiar home, but he visited on weekends. He was usually accompanied by Green.

After the baby’s death, Salinas denied causing her any harm.

But Green allegedly told investigators a different story.

According to court documents, Green said he and Salinas conspired to kill the baby. KCTV5, The Star’s reporting partner, said Salinas did not want to pay child support.

Green allegedly said he was the lookout in case someone came when Salinas was shaking, throwing and otherwise abusing the infant.

Even when Salinas was performing CPR on his daughter on the occasion of her final seizure, court documents say, he squeezed her chest and stomach “to take the air back out when no one was looking.”

To reach Matt Campbell, call 816-234-4902 or send email to mcampbell@kcstar.com.