23/09/2026
MOM WHO KILLED NEWBORN BY PUTTING HER IN OVEN NOT CONVICTED OF MURDER
Mariah Thomas, 28, pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death. According to Jackson County court records, she was sentenced to 13 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
The sentence came more than two years after Kansas City police discovered Thomas’ infant daughter dead inside a home, suffering from severe burns.
The tragic incident occurred on February 9, 2024, when officers were called to the home at around 1:30 p.m. following a report that a baby was not breathing.
When police arrived, they found the 1-month-old infant with apparent burns covering her body. A family member later told detectives that Thomas had said, “I thought I put her in her crib and I accidentally put her in the oven.”
Thomas was initially charged only with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death. Court records show that prosecutors later added a first-degree murder charge, which was ultimately dismissed under the plea agreement reached Tuesday.
At the Jesse Omokaro Women and Girls Welfare Foundation, we support pregnant women and girls with crisis pregnancies, and also protect the lives of unborn children.
A mother in crisis needs support. An innocent child needs protection. Every life matters.
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