A Missouri mother has admitted responsibility for the horrifying death of her eight-week-old daughter after prosecutors reached a plea agreement that will send the woman to prison for more than a decade.
Mariah K. Thomas, 28, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death in connection with the February 2024 death of her infant daughter, Za’Riah Mae Thomas.
As part of the agreement, prosecutors dropped the first-degree murder charge that Thomas had previously faced. Judge Sarah A. Castle sentenced Thomas to 13 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, with no probation attached to the sentence.
The case centers on the death of a baby who was completely dependent on the adults around her for safety and care.
