BOULDER, Colo. -- The father of a 9-week-old infant who died from apparent abuse now faces a charge of first-degree murder, the Boulder County district attorney announced Friday.

Joseph Dowler, 34, also faces eight other counts of child abuse resulting in bodily injury and child abuse resulting in death, 7NEWS reported.

In court on Friday, Dowler's defense attorney asked the judge to allow Dowler out of jail temporarily so that he could attend his son's funeral. He wants "closure," the public defender said.

It was a request that Deputy District Attorney Colette Cribari vehemently opposed.

"All I can say is I think it's offensive that he asked to attend the funeral of the person that he's killed," Cribari said.

The judge denied that specific request but allowed Dowler to hold a private viewing of young Tanner's body. Those arrangements will be made secretly with the mortuary, 7NEWS reported.

Tanner Dowler will be laid to rest on Monday in a private ceremony. There will be a public service at the Tabor Funeral Home in Brighton between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Tanner died after his paternal grandparents made the decision Saturday night to remove him from a ventilator at Denver Health Medical Center.

Joseph Dowler's bond is set at $1 million; his wife's bond is $500,000.

Audra Dowler's defense attorney told 7NEWS that she, too, expects to face an upgraded murder charge when her hearing is held on Wednesday.

SURVEY Do you think Joseph Dowler should be allowed to view the body of his infant son, whom he is accused of beating, burning and suffocating? Yes. Dowler is innocent until proven guilty and he should be allowed to see his son before he is buried. No. Not after the way he treated his baby when the boy was alive. Results  |  Disclaimer

The couple was arrested Oct. 3 after they took Tanner to a hospital, saying he was unresponsive and had stopped eating. Hospital staff suspected abuse and called police.

The couple is accused of breaking both of Tanner's arms and legs, and some of his ribs, burning his feet and forehead, shaking him, and suffocating him.

In the Boulder County arrest report, Joseph Dowler told police he "has an anger problem and needs help with losing his temper." He also said he "has picked Tanner up by his neck before, and moved him around by his head."

The report also says, "Joseph decided to forcibly place Tanner's hands behind his backside to keep him from knocking the pacifier out. Tanner fought against it, but Joseph forced his arms behind him and heard or felt some sort of 'pop.'"

The Dowlers' preliminary hearing is set for early January.

Also on Friday, the state Department of Human Services cleared Boulder County Social Services of any wrongdoing in the Dowler case.