Media personality Perez Hilton reacted to the “monstrous” story of 8-month-old Elijah Flowerday’s death at an Arkansas daycare, calling the case a heartbreaking tragedy that had shaken an entire community. In a March 18 article on his website, Hilton wrote:
“This is the kind of story that stops you cold. In Little Rock, Arkansas, a case involving the death of an eight-month-old baby in the final days of 2025 has taken another devastating turn, and the weight of it all is being felt not just by one grieving family, but by an entire community searching for answers and accountability.”
In his website article, Perez Hilton outlined the allegations against 23-year-old daycare owner Erin Sauls, who was accused of “killing infant Elijah Flowerday late 2025.” He described the allegations as “shocking” and called it a “deeply disturbing act of violence.”
“According to police reports, Sauls allegedly told officers she became frustrated while changing the baby’s diaper at her in-home daycare business late last year and, citing a headache, allegedly violently struck his head against the floor multiple times,” the podcaster added.
Hilton also reflected on the emotional impact of the details involved in Elijah Flowerday’s case, noting how it was “too painful” to process such violence against a defenseless eight-month-old infant.
He further described the investigators’ account of what happened after the alleged assault, explaining that Elijah Flowerday reportedly became “hot and sweaty” and was given a bottle. However, the situation quickly deteriorated, as the infant became “unresponsive and stopped breathing” within minutes.
“First responders rushed him to the hospital while performing CPR, but tragically, it was too late. Doctors later confirmed that the baby had suffered a severe skull fracture and brain bleed. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter,” Hilton detailed.
Perez Hilton also reported that at the time of the incident in late 2025, police believed Sauls’ alleged confession aligned with the injuries Elijah Flowerday had sustained, adding “another layer of gravity to an already horrifying situation.”
However, the podcaster then revealed the recent “devastating turn” in Elijah Flowerday’s case: Erin Sauls had “officially pleaded not guilty to the capital murder charge.
Perez Hilton reacts to Elijah Flowerday’s alleged killer pleading not guilty, calls the case “almost impossible to comprehend”
In the aforementioned article, Perez Hilton also weighed in on the latest developments in the case of infant Elijah Flowerday, expressing shock after the child’s alleged killer, Erin Sauls, entered a not-guilty plea despite previously confessing to harming the baby.
Hilton cited a March 11 report from The U.S. Sun and remarked:
“And yet, in a courtroom appearance last week, according to the US Sun and others, Sauls pleaded not guilty to the charge of capital murder. A bond hearing is now scheduled for June 5, as the legal process begins to unfold in a case that feels almost impossible to comprehend.”
According to Hilton’s account, Elijah Flowerday’s relatives attended the hearing, bringing their “grief” into what he described as a “space” where “justice” was meant to take shape.
He also detailed that Elijah’s aunt, Brianna Russell, later spoke to reporters from KARK News, struggling to articulate the magnitude of the loss and the emotional toll of the proceedings.
“She (Erin Sauls) pled not guilty. Right now, we have the decision of the death penalty even being an option,” Hilton added, citing what Russell told KARK News.
Hilton further cited how Russel had described the moment she learned of her nephew’s death, recounting a frantic phone call from her mother and sister filled with panic and anguish. She recalled hearing them scream and barely understanding their words, while her little sister repeatedly cried that “she killed her baby.”
The podcaster added that for Russell, the focus remained on accountability. While speaking to KARK News, she had expressed that the family wanted “some kind of responsibility” and appropriate “punishment.”
Perez Hilton Laos remarked that Sauls’ not-guilty plea, despite her earlier confession, added a new layer of complexity to an already devastating tragedy.
“For the family, though, this is not about legal strategy or courtroom procedure. It’s about a life that was taken far too soon, and a void that can never be filled. There are no easy words to follow that. No tidy way to wrap up a tragedy like this. Just a family left in pieces, trying to make sense of something senseless,” the podcaster added.
He also detailed that in the months following Elijah Flowerday’s death, the loved ones had come together in support, raising more than $18,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to honor the infant’s memory and help the family cope with their grief.
He concluded by emphasizing the profound scale of the loss, adding that it was “impossible not to feel the enormity of that loss.” He called Elijah Flowerday’s life “small, yet so deeply loved” and a “future” that would “never unfold.”
“And now, a case that moves through the justice system, carrying with it the hopes of a family that simply wants accountability for something that should never have happened. So, so sad,” Hilton added.
Erin Sauls, the woman accused of killing Elijah Floweday, first appeared in court on December 31, 2025, where she entered a plea of not guilty to the capital murder charge. She later returned to court on Monday, March 9, for a formal plea and arraignment hearing. A bond hearing was scheduled for June 5 (as per the Daily Mail report).
Edited by Shayari Roy
