The older siblings of a four-year-old girl who died of blunt force trauma testified in court today that they initially lied to police when they said their sister fell down a flight of stairs.

The children testified in the murder trial of Travis Lee Gauldin, who is charged with one count of murder in connection to the death of four-year-old Malisa De Le Sancha.

Sancha’s older sister and brother, ages 7 and 8, testified in court that Gauldin said he would kill them if they didn’t tell police their sister fell down stairs. The siblings went on to testify that Gauldin used a lighter to burn Sancha on the foot, fingers and tongue. They said Gauldin tossed Sancha, threw her into a wall, choked her and dropped her on the floor.

Gauldin told the children to let him know when Sancha stopped breathing, which they did minutes later, according to their testimony.

Sancha died days later at Miami Valley Hospital from blunt force trauma to the head.

Sancha was the daughter of Gauldin’s then-girlfriend.