PITTSBURGH -- While police investigated the disappearance of 23-month-old Nyia Page, her father seemed to be crying without any tears on his face -- as if the action was forced -- and it aroused the suspicion of an Allegheny County homicide detective who found it strange.

That testimony from Detective Michael Caruso came on Thursday morning, as William Page's murder trial continued at the county courthouse. The Braddock man stands accused of killing his toddler daughter, who was found frozen in a snowy, wooded area behind Hawkins Village in Rankin in February 2007.

Jurors also heard testimony from county Detective Dennis Kozlowski, who said Page became nervous and lost eye contact with police and moved away from them when he was asked about a hammer that was found outside the family's home.

Other evidence on Thursday included a Terrible Towel, a T-shirt and women's underwear that were seen by the jury. The police crime lab said those three items were found in the family's basement and had blood on them.

Also testifying Thursday was a boy whose statements put Page inside the room that the child shared with Nyia Page on the night she disappeared. He was 6 at the time it happened.

The child's answers came one or two words at a time, but his story was riveting. He said Page woke him up, lay down beside his bed and sexually abused him, and when he told Page to stop, the man grabbed his mouth to silence him and ran from the room.

Nyia followed her father out of the bedroom, according to the boy, who said that was the last time he saw her. Hours later, she was found dead.

Defense attorney Chris Patarini tried to undercut the boy's testimony, saying, "It's hard to remember ... You don't remember what happened ... they want you to say these things?"

"Yes," the boy said.

In rebuttal testimony, a county police detective said the boy spontaneously identified Page during an interview by a doctor hours after the incident happened.

Page is expected to testify on his behalf at some point. Seven men and five women will decide his fate, and prosecutors have indicated that they will ask for the death penalty if there's a guilty verdict.

Channel 4 Action News' Amber Nicotra reported that close to a dozen of Page's family members were in the courtroom for opening arguments Wednesday and, given the graphic details of the alleged crime, emotions were running high.

At one point Wednesday, William Page's mother suffered a seizure in the courtroom. A recess was called while county sheriff's deputies and medics tended to the woman and she was taken to a hospital.

Nyia Page's mother, Darlene Robinson, was also there with her brother and other family members. Prosecutors played a 911 call that Robinson made when she learned that the girl was missing.

Operator: "911, may I help you? (Pause) Hello?"
Darlene Robinson: "My daughter's missing."
Operator: "What is your name, ma'am?"
Darlene Robinson: "Darlene Robinson."
Operator: "How old is she?"
Darlene Robinson: "She's 1."
Operator: "Black? White?"
Darlene Robinson: "She's African-American."
Operator: "When did you see her last?"
Darlene Robinson: "Last night around 12 when I put her to bed."
Operator: "Any of your doors open as if she went outside?"
Darlene Robinson: "Don't know, but the back door was unlocked, though."

According to police, Page said that he was frustrated because the girl had taken off her diaper and that he kicked her before taking her outside and dropping her off in freezing temperatures.

Page said that Nyia cried for 10 minutes before he left her and went back home to bed, police said.

Deputy District Attorney Mark Tranquilli told the jury they will hear from 24 witnesses, many of whom are police officers who will describe Page's behavior during the investigation.

Tranquilli told the court that Page "had choices and he had chances. William Page decided to do what he did to his daughter. He chose to take her out of the house, abandon her."

Patarini requested that the jury "have an open mind" and consider circumstances Page was under during the investigation of being isolated, placed in jail, charged and interviewed multiple times.

The trial is expected to last about two weeks. Judge David Cashman is presiding.

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