SPOKANE -- A 22 year old Spokane man is in jail on $1 million bond on charges he abused his girlfriend's baby to death.

Jereme Bassett is charged with second-degree murder. He made his first appearance in court Friday, where bond was set.

This stems from an incident last Thursday night at the West Wynn Motel on West Sunset in Spokane. Police say Bassett and his girlfriend were temporarily living there.

Police say Bassett called his girlfriend who was at work claiming he had given the baby a bath, and while he was drying her off, she slipped out of his arms and onto her head. The girlfriend, who is the mother of the child, says when Bassett told her the baby had been put to sleep, she was no longer worried.

But, when she got home, the baby was still unresponsive, so she called for help. Doctors at the hospital told police they did not believe Bassett's story.

Doctors say the baby girl is suffering from serious head injuries. More than one doctor said the injuries were much too severe to match Bassett's story. One said "the injuries indicate something more violent occurred to her than just being dropped".