Maryland mom charged in death of her 5-week-old infant

RISING SUN, Md. (TCN) -- A 24-year-old woman has been charged with murder in connection with the death of her 5-week-old daughter.

On the morning of Dec. 4, police and paramedics responded to a call about an unresponsive infant girl in a townhouse, the Washington Post reports. Upon entry, they found a deceased baby, identified as K.C. in charging papers, who had reportedly been dead for quite some time, according to court filings obtained by the outlet. 

There were three adults present in the home, including Destiny Chiveral, the mother of the deceased infant. The Cecil Whig reports Chiveral and her daughter had gone to the home for a “girls night.”

Chiveral claimed K.C.  was fine when they went to sleep together on the couch and again at 3 a.m. when she woke up to change K.C.’s diaper, according to the Washington Post.

Chiveral then alleged that when she woke up at 9 a.m., she discovered K.C. had become wedged between the couch cushions and was unresponsive. At that point, Chiveral said, another adult in the home called the authorities. 

The Maryland State Police began a death investigation, which later became a homicide investigation, WBAL reports. 

An autopsy of K.C. determined she had bleeding on the brain and bruising caused by a significant amount of force, the Washington Post reports. Chiveral was brought in for questioning, and her phone was seized.

Evidence found on Chiveral’s phone and in her home after search warrants were executed provided probable cause for murder and child abuse charges, WBAL reports. 

According to the Washington Post, video evidence from Chiveral’s phone the night before her daughter was found dead show Chiveral getting progressively drunker, with one video of her describing K.C. as “the baddest she’s been in a while.” 

In one video, a picture frame appeared level, but in a later video — taken where the baby was allegedly last seen alive — it appears as though it had been knocked askew. Other videos show K.C. crying and Chiveral stating she is too drunk to open the baby gate. 

During interviews with investigators, Chiveral claimed she sleepwalks and that her other child was often rough with K.C., per the Washington Post. She reportedly told interviewers, “Nothing I say is going to fix this, is it?” 

According to the Cecil Whig, Chiveral initially said she was homeless so she could stay at the home where her daughter was found dead, but she actually allegedly already lived in housing suitable for an infant. Her other child, a toddler, was reportedly at their father’s house the night K.C. died. 

Chiveral was arrested and charged on Dec. 10 with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death, according to WBAL.

CBS News reports Chiveral is being held without bond at the Cecil County Detention Center. According to Law & Crime, her next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2026.

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