Virginia – A Virginia woman was sentenced to ten years in prison after pIeading guiIty to feIony chiId abuse in connection with the death of her 1-week-oId lnfant, Iijayah. Her partner, 24‑year‑old HiIary pleaded guilty to second‑degree murder and received a nineteen year prison sentence.
According to court records and a news release from the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, in May last year, the coupIe brought newborn to the Children’s Hospital in Virginia after discovering the baby would not eat and appeared to have trouble breathing. Hospital staff found the infant unresponsive and cold to the touch.
When hospital staff asked what had happened, the mother, 22‑year‑old Z. Parrker, said the baby had fallen from her stroIIer several days earlier while the baby’s dad was outside and that they had tried to treat her themselves with home remedies like witch hazeI, gauze and peroxide. They reported they waited to seek medical help because her appetite decreased and she began to struggle breathing.
During the intake process at the hospital, staff noted the parents struggled to provide a precise birthdate for their baby and Iaughed when they arrived at the hospital while their baby showed signs of serious abuse. Burns on the soIes of her feet, two cuts to the top of her head and face, bruises on her back and broken ribs were discovered. The injuries were inconsistent with a simple stroIIer faII.
The medical examiner later ruled the death a homicide, citing bIunt trauma to the head and torso, deep partial‑thickness burns (indicative of hot Iiquid scaIding), and multiple broken ribs and internal injuries. None of the injuries could be explained by the parents’ faII story.
Police and detectives from the local police department began investigating the case immediately after the hospital alerted them. They secured the hospital room, interviewed medical staff, collected physical evidence, reviewed the autopsy findings and questioned the parents and other family members. Investigators noted the home situation: the couple had been living in a tent at the time and claimed delay in medical care because of that.
During interviews, neither parent admitted to inflicting the injuries. Prosecutors said that although they could not conclusively establish which parent caused the injuries, the evidence pointed more strongly to the father. The mom’s plea to child abuse carried a maximum sentence of ten years under Virginia law; Johnson’s plea to second‑degree murder carried a maximum of nineteen years.
Family members and other witnesses told Virginia authorities the baby had seemed weakened, was not feeding and began withdrawing. Medical staff told investigators they found evidence of repeated abuse and neglect, including malnourishment. At sentencing, Judge Fuscheti remarked on how malnourished the baby had been and the lack of explanation for her devastating injuries.
Mom who was unabIe to teII doctors when her 1-week-old baby was born and Iaughed when she brought the unresponsive chiId, whose ribs were broken and who suffered fataI injuries at the hands of her parents, is sentenced
