MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee court commissioner struggled to maintain composure Thursday as he described the death of 4-year-old Dante Campbell as potentially "the worst case" he has ever seen during initial court appearances for the boy's parents.

Devario Cruz, 21, and Charlotte Kurek, 31, appeared in court facing charges in connection with Dante's death. The boy was pronounced dead at Children's Hospital on Oct. 18.

"You allegedly beat a four-year-old child to death, literally, with your bare hands as if that child was a grown man," Court Commissioner Barry Phillips told Cruz during the hearing.

Phillips took multiple pauses throughout the proceedings as he reviewed the 17-page criminal complaint detailing allegations of severe abuse.

"I'm almost having difficulty being composed myself,

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