A capital murder charge against a Birmingham man in the blunt force death of his girlfriend’s young child has been dismissed, but he remains charged with felony murder in the child’s death.

Christopher Eugene Knight, 39, is charged in the 2020 slaying of 1-year-old Jayden McGee.

Knight was initially arrested in March 2020 and indicted the following year on charges of capital murder and felony murder. As of Monday, he has been held without bond for three years and eight months.

The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office last week filed a motion dismissing the capital murder charge. The motion did not give a reason for the request, which was granted. The felony murder indictment in the case still stands.

Knight’s attorney, Emory Anthony, asked that Knight be given a $60,000 bond since the capital charge was dropped.

Prosecutors argued Knight should remain held without bond.

Circuit Judge Shanta Craig Owens granted Knight a $250,000 bond and said should he be able to make that bond, he would be under full house arrest.

Owens set a trial date for March 4.

Jayden, who had just turned 1 shortly before his death, was rushed to Children’s of Alabama on March 7, 2020, after he was unresponsive and having trouble breathing. Doctors there, as well as a subsequent autopsy, found severe head injuries.

The boy remained on life support until Tuesday, March 10, when the support was removed. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

Jayden’s mother, 23-year-old Natasha McGee, was at work when Knight – her boyfriend of about two months – called her to say that Jayden was having trouble breathing, McGee told AL.com in an earlier interview. She said he refused to call 911 and told her to come home, which she did.

It was about 7:30 a.m. and McGee left her job at UAB and rushed to the home at 1100 Huffman Road. “When I saw my son, I knew something was wrong. I could tell by the way he was acting.”

McGee grabbed Jayden and put him in the car to take him to the hospital, but realized she needed to call paramedics instead. “He was alive, but he wasn’t saying anything,’’ she said. “He was fighting to breathe. I knew he was still alive, but he wasn’t alert.”

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service took the boy to Children’s of Alabama.

Once at the hospital, doctors told McGee that Jayden had suffered a fractured skull and had a blood clot. He immediately was taken into surgery.

Doctors told her the outlook was grim and brain activity tests confirmed the prognosis.

“They said the damage was done before they did surgery. I knew my baby was gone right then and there,’’ McGee said in 2020. “But they kept doing tests and I let them keep trying and I kept praying that he would get better.”

For the next 72 hours, McGee held vigil at Jayden’s bedside. “I was telling him, ‘Hang in baby boy. Be strong,’’’ she said. “I was telling him I was sorry.”

McGee said this was something she never saw coming. Knight, who has children of his own, has watched Jayden before and she trusted him, she said.

As for her son, she said Jayden was playful and full of life. “He touched so many people’s hearts,’’ she said. “He just loved to play. He would smile and just brighten up your day.”