A Fort Worth father has been charged with capital murder months after his daughter’s death, which was recently ruled a homicide.

According to an arrest affidavit, an autopsy revealed Marquise Anderson’s 9-year-old daughter died from blunt force trauma, contradicting the account he initially gave police.

Anderson was arrested last week in connection with the February death of his daughter, Joanna Jordyn. He is charged with capital murder of a child younger than 10.

According to an arrest affidavit, Anderson told detectives Joanna had wet the bed and that he physically disciplined her before telling her to soak in a bathtub to clean herself.

Court documents say Anderson later admitted he repeatedly struck Joanna with his hands and hit her up to seven times with a belt because he believed she was “smirking” at him and that he believed she had not being disciplined enough.

Joanna’s uncle on her maternal side, Brandon Shoulder, said the expression was not defiance.

He said part of Joanna’s face had been paralyzed since birth.

The affidavit states Anderson also told investigators Joanna hit her head after falling in the bathtub. A woman, who is not Joanna’s mother, was inside the home during the alleged beating, according to court documents.

Fort Worth police said the evidence did not support Anderson’s version of events.

“We had an autopsy on a 9-year-old, found that there were discrepancies in the story this dad was telling us, and we made an arrest,” Fort Worth police spokesman Buddy Calzada said.

The affidavit says medical staff documented about 30 injuries to Joanna’s torso and lower body. She was taken to Cook Children’s Medical Center in cardiac arrest, where she was pronounced dead.

A final autopsy completed in June determined Joanna died from blunt force trauma. According to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner, she suffered head and neck injuries and bleeding on both sides of her brain.

“One of the disturbing things is witnesses have shared this child was normal. Didn’t have any behavioral issues,” Calzada said.

Shoulder described his niece, Joanna as a kind, imaginative little girl.

“She believed in unicorns. She wanted to be an astronaut,” he said.

He said his family is now focused on seeking justice for Joanna.

“I have to tell people about how good Joanna really was,” Shoulder said. “If a person shows you who they are the first time, believe them.”

Shoulder said he believed Anderson should face the death penalty.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services confirmed it has a history with Joanna’s family but declined to provide additional details at this time.