Nicholas Compton appears in court during his trial on first-degree murder charges. (Pool photo)

By Joe Ragusa

BLOOMINGTON – An interrogation video taken hours after an alleged murder victim's death was played in court Monday during a murder trial.

The video shows 25-year-old Nicholas Compton talking with a police investigator on March 26, 2013, the same day three-year-old Robbie Cramer died of a blood infection brought on by tissue damage near his intestines.

In the video, Compton describes the condition Cramer was in hours before he died.

"There was no (abnormal) temperature, there was no discoloration in his stomach area. We checked everything," Compton told a Normal Police investigator in the video. "He had bruises on his back from falling in the tub. That was a week ago, maybe."

A forensic pathologist ruled the injury on Cramer's back caused the tissue damage. Compton is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly causing that injury.

He told police that no one abused Cramer.

"Nobody in that household, whatsoever, would raise a hand to a child," Compton said.

Compton lived with the child's mother, Danielle Fischer, and a few others at the time of Cramer's death. He told police that he would often discipline Cramer.

"I'm a little bit more stern on him than she is, but I try to be less stern while she's away," Compton said, noting that Fischer would work 12-hour shifts on consecutive days and that would be hard on Cramer.

Compton broke down when the police investigator told him that Cramer didn't make it.

"This has all got to be a bad dream," Compton said. "That's not true. It can't be true."

It was also revealed in the video that Compton has a child of his own with his ex-wife, but she has full custody.

Joe Ragusa can be reached at [email protected].