A Missouri mother identified as Mariah Thomas has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty in connection with the death of her one-month-old daughter, Za’riah Thomas.
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The tragic incident happened on February 9, 2024, when police were called to Thomas’ home in Kansas City at around 1:30pm following a report of a baby who was not breathing.
When officers arrived, they found the one-month-old baby with severe burns. Kansas City Fire Department personnel pronounced the child dead at the scene.
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According to court documents, investigators were told that Mariah had intended to put her daughter down for a nap but mistakenly placed her in the oven instead of the crib.
A family member later told detectives that Mariah had said:
“I thought I put her in her crib and I accidentally put her in the oven.”
More than two years after her daughter’s death, the 28-year-old pleaded guilty on Tuesday to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death.
Jackson County court records show that she was sentenced to 13 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. She was not given probation and will receive credit for time already served.
Thomas had initially been charged with first-degree murder, but that charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Investigators also documented evidence from the scene, including the baby’s clothing and a blanket that had burn damage.
Thomas initially declined to speak with detectives after being informed of her rights. She later agreed to provide a blood sample and allow investigators to access information from her cellphone.
When the original charges were announced in February 2024, then-Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker described the child’s death as a “gruesome” tragedy.
“We acknowledge the gruesome nature of this tragedy, and our hearts are weighted by the loss of this precious life,” Baker said at the time. “We trust the criminal justice system to respond appropriately to these awful circumstances.”
Court records show that prosecutors later added the first-degree murder charge, which was ultimately dismissed under the plea agreement.
Thomas will now serve the 13-year prison sentence imposed by the court.