Man cleared of murdering toddler daughter after 7-year-old son confesses to killing her

A father in Texas has been cleared of murdering his toddler daughter after his seven-year-old son admitted killing his sister two years ago.

Anthony Michael Sanders was charged with the murder of his two-year-old daughter Ellie Mae in April 2016.

The 33-year-old father-of-two was accused of suffocating the toddler while looking after her and his five-year-old son at his home in Watauga, a city in Texas, in December 2015.

Investigators suggested that Sanders had held his hand over the girl's mouth after she interrupted him while he was playing a video game.

Sanders denied harming his daughter and said he had found her not breathing after his son, who was five at the time, told him that she wouldn't wake up.

He was arrested and charged with capital murder in April 2016. His trial was due to start on 11 September, but it never took place as Sanders' seven-year-old son admitted causing his sister's death.

The boy allegedly told his mother that he had hit his sister over the head with a pillow and could not remove it as it was too heavy, according to the Forth Worth Star Telegram.

His mother told prosecutors that she does not believe her son's statement, the Telegram reported.

The arrest warrant affidavit stated that the girl had bruises all over her body and around her eyes and two adult bite marks on her back.

Sanders' attorney, Tim Moore, said his client was "elated" at being released. "He has denied it from the beginning," he said.