Missouri mom sentenced to 13 years in prison for killing newborn by accidentally placing her in oven
09/24/2026 9:10 am PDT
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (TCN) -- A 28-year-old woman has been sentenced to 13 years in prison in connection with the 2024 death of her 1-month-old daughter, whom she accidentally placed in an oven.
According to a redacted statement of probable cause from the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, police responded to a residence on Feb. 9, 2024, after getting a report that a baby was not breathing. When they arrived, Mariah Thomas was holding the unresponsive infant, later identified as Za’Riah Thomas. She was pronounced dead at the scene and had suffered burn injuries.
In her interview with authorities, Thomas stated she told her grandfather that she put her daughter down to take a nap but accidentally put her in the oven instead of the crib. The grandfather then called 911, according to the statement of probable cause.
Following Mariah Thomas’s interview, detectives obtained a search warrant for the crime scene. According to the statement of probable cause, detectives noted that the infant was inside a car seat by the front door and that her clothing appeared to have melted onto her diaper. A baby blanket with burn marks was nearby.
According to a press release from the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, Thomas was charged Feb. 10, 2024 with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. According to court records obtained by WNYW, prosecutors later added a first-degree murder charge.
WDAF reports that on Sept. 22, Mariah Thomas pleaded guilty to first-degree endangering of a child; as part of her plea agreement, the first-degree murder charge was dismissed. WNYW reports that Mariah Thomas will receive credit for time already served.
Za’Riah Thomas’ obituary describes her as an infant who “enjoyed eating, sleeping, being held, talked to, and sung to.”
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