Nationwide — Mariah Thomas, a 28-year-old African American mother from Kansas City, Missouri, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to the death of her 1-month-old daughter, who was found severely burned inside an oven. The first-degree murder charge against her was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
She entered the guilty plea Tuesday in Jackson County, admitting to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death. Judge Sarah A. Castle ordered her to serve 13 years with the Missouri Department of Corrections, according to court records cited by Fox News. She will receive credit for time already served and will not be eligible for probation.
The case began on Feb. 9, 2024, when Kansas City police responded to a home after receiving a report that a baby was not breathing. Officers found the infant with severe burns across her body. Kansas City Fire Department personnel pronounced her dead at the scene.
Investigators said Thomas had been trying to put her daughter down for a nap when she accidentally placed the baby in the oven instead of the crib. A family member later told detectives that Thomas said, “I thought I put [her] in her crib and I accidentally put her in the oven.” The baby was identified as Za’riah Thomas.
Police found that the infant was wearing a bodysuit over a diaper, and investigators said the clothing appeared to have melted onto the diaper. They also recovered a baby blanket from the living room with significant burn marks. Thomas initially declined to speak with detectives after being advised of her rights. She later agreed to provide a blood sample and allowed investigators to access data from her cellphone.
The original complaint accused Thomas of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death. Prosecutors later added a first-degree murder charge, which was dropped under the plea agreement. Court records state that Thomas entered her guilty plea voluntarily and understood the charge and consequences. The judgment also states that she did not raise a mental disease or defect defense. She was returned to Jackson County Sheriff’s custody pending her transfer to state prison. The court ordered her to pay $68 to Missouri’s Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund and waived the other court costs.