DENVER — A newly released affidavit is shedding a troubling new light on a first-degree murder case involving the death of a 2-year-old girl in Denver.
Nicolas J. Stout, 38, was arrested Sunday evening in connection with the death of his girlfriend’s daughter, 2-year-old Valkyrie Erickson, who was found unresponsive early Sunday at a home in the 100 block of S. Vrain Street and pronounced dead at the scene.
Details about the cause of Valkyrie’s death have yet to be released. However, the court documents state that Stout blamed the child’s injuries on multiple falls, despite witnesses telling police that the suspect was allegedly aggressive toward the child and often heard “smacking sounds coming from the bedroom.”
According to the affidavit, Valkyrie’s mother, Melissa Wayne, and Stout claimed Valkyrie had fallen while jumping on the bed on Saturday. Stout told police that he later went to get cigarettes around midnight, returned to find her crying, but she went back to sleep. She was found unresponsive the next morning.
Affidavit paints troubling picture of physical and verbal abuse leading to death of Denver toddler
“Melissa also told officers that when the baby was jumping on the bed and fell off, she fell between the wall and the bed, and that the baby had an injury to her mouth and bruising on her head and face that Melissa believed to be from the fall. Officers on scene indicated there is about a six-inch gap between the bed and the wall in the bedroom where Melissa, Nicolas, and Valkyrie sleep,” the affidavit said.
According to the affidavit, Wayne told police that Stout would repeatedly yell at Valkyrie about toileting and admitted that she witnessed Stout allegedly smack the victim at least twice the night before her death. She also said that Valkyrie had fallen from the couch earlier in the day.
“Melissa indicated that they were watching the football game and while doing so, Valkyrie rolled off the bed and hit her head, face down, onto the wooden floor. Melissa indicated that the child had a facial injury from that and that she iced the child’s head. Melissa also indicated that when she was showering the child was pointing at her stomach,” the affidavit said.
Police said in the documents that while on scene, officers spoke with a man who had been living at the home for about a week. He told them he “heard [Stout] frequently yelling at the child and slapping noises coming from the bedroom where Valkyrie stays with Melissa and Nicolas.”
During later interviews, the man said he heard the suspect “yelling and screaming” during the time that Stout had claimed he left to go get cigarettes.
“[The housemate] stated that between the hours of 11:00 p.m. – 01:00 a.m., on January 17, 2026, that he heard the yelling and screaming continue. [The housemate] heard Nicolas say something to the effect of “You f***ing bit me” and “I f***ing hate you.” [The housemate] stated that it was a close proximity in time after those statements that “the baby” stopped crying and everything went quiet for the rest of the night,” the affidavit said.
Other residents in the home characterized Nicolas as “short-fused,” “hot-headed,” “unpredictable,” and aggressive.
During police interviews, investigators told the suspect that officers observed “bloody towels/rags and wipes that were in the trash can inside of the house. There was also a bloody hand print against the wall,” the affidavit said. However, Stout claimed the blood evidence recovered from the scene was from the child’s bloody lip sustained during Saturday’s fall.
But police said the injuries to Valkyrie’s body were too significant to have been produced by a fall. The document describes the victim’s condition, stating, “Detective THOMAS also indicated that the victim, Valkyrie ERICKSON, had multiple injuries to her body, to include bruising all over her body which appeared to be in various stages of healing, a raised bump on the right side of her forehead, indentations on top of her head, pattern bruises on her back.”
Stout denied that he had abused the child and maintained that the injuries were from accidental falls, describing the child as a “daredevil.”
“Nicolas described Valkyrie as a “dare devil” and stated that she liked to jump around on the bed. During the time that they were trying to sleep on Friday night, Valkyrie started to jump over Melissa, then over Nicolas and was about to jump off of the bed. Nicolas said that he put his arm over to catch Valkyrie and stop her from jumping off of the bed. In the process of grabbing her, she hit her head on the night stand/coffee table that was next to his bed,” the affidavit said.
Stout is facing charges of first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death. The suspect was denied bond during his first court appearance on Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday evening, Denver7 learned that the child’s mother, Wayne, is being held for investigation of child abuse resulting in death.
According to criminal records pulled by Denver7, Stout previously pleaded guilty in Denver County Court to kidnapping in 2005 and received five years of intensive probation. Seven years later, Stout pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer in Denver after charges of burglary, arson, and weapons possession by a prior offender were dismissed.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available through Violence Free Colorado or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
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