A father is accused of brutally beating his 7-year-old son into a coma on father's day. The child lived most of his life in Eufaula with his grandmother, but a court order allowed him to visit his father in Massachusetts.

Police say the boy, identified by his family as Nathaniel Turner, had marks and bruises all over his body.

Authorities say he had been beaten for several days, including Sunday when he was beaten unconscious, but he wasn't taken to a hospital until Monday.

His father, 36-year-old Leslie Schuler and Schuler's girlfriend, 28-year-old Tiffany Hyman, are being charged in the beating.

They were in court Tuesday afternoon.

Schuler is accused of beating the boy several times between June 15 and June 21.

He was charged with seven counts of assault and battery on a child and one count of assault with intent to murder.

Schuler also faces two separate counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, which stems from a separate may 19 incident.

Nathaniel was declared clinically dead after that court appearance.

Worcester police say they have now launched a homicide investigation. Police say Nathaniel had bruises on his chest, head and face, and black marks under both of his eyes.

While police don't believe Hyman physically harmed Nathaniel, she is charged with two counts of assault and battery on a child with substantial injury.

She is considered an accomplice in the beating, and under Massachusetts law, she can be charged with assault because she failed to stop it.

Nathanial's family said the boy lived in Eufaula, Ala with his grandmother but was in Massachusetts with his father per a custody order from a judge.

But court officials in Wooster say there is no record of a court order.

The boy's mother was by his side at the hospital. It's unclear if she lives in Massachusetts.

Schuler is being held on $250,000 cash bail, while Hyman is being held on $50,000 cash bail.

While Hyman has no criminal record, Schuler has a record that includes assault.