Missouri mom is sorry after she ‘accidentally’ put her 1-month baby in oven instead of crib. So the charge was dropped but she learns her 13 year fate
Her explanation didn't keep her out of prison
Putting a baby down for a nap should be a simple task. However, one Missouri mother claimed she accidentally put her one-month-old daughter in an oven instead of her crib. The baby died, and her mother faced a murder charge.
More than two years later, the case has taken a different turn. The murder charge has been dropped, but the mother will still spend more than a decade in prison.
According to Law&Crime, Mariah Thomas, 28, was sentenced to 13 years in prison on September 22 after pleading guilty to endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death. Prosecutors dropped the first-degree murder charge as part of a plea deal in the death of her daughter, Za’Riah Mae Thomas.
Then came the explanation nobody expected
Kansas City police responded to a home on February 9, 2024, after receiving a report that an infant was not breathing. When officers arrived, they found Za’Riah with severe burn injuries. The one-month-old was pronounced dead at the scene, and investigators began looking into what had happened inside the home.
According to court documents, a male relative had left Thomas and Za’Riah alone earlier that day. He told investigators that both appeared to be in good spirits when he left. Around 1 p.m., Thomas called him and said something was wrong with the baby. She urged him to return home immediately, but did not explain exactly what had happened over the phone.
When the relative arrived, he reportedly smelled smoke inside the house and found Za’Riah in her crib. He asked Thomas what had happened to the baby. Her alleged response was, “I thought I put Za’Riah in her crib and I accidentally put her in the oven.”
The statement later became a central part of the criminal complaint against her. The relative’s account helped investigators piece together the events leading up to the baby’s death. Police included his statements in the probable cause affidavit used to support the charges against Thomas.
Police later found the infant in a car seat in the living room. Za’Riah had thermal injuries throughout her body, and her onesie appeared to have melted onto her diaper. Investigators also recovered a burned baby blanket from the home. Thomas declined to speak with detectives when they attempted to question her about the incident.
Following her arrest, Thomas faced a first-degree murder charge. However, prosecutors eventually agreed to dismiss it in exchange for her guilty plea to endangering the welfare of a child. The agreement brought the case to a close without a murder trial. On September 22, a Jackson County judge sentenced Thomas to 13 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
The infant’s death also shocked residents in the neighborhood. Corrine Foreman told local Fox affiliate WDAF that she heard sirens before seeing a baby carrier being transported between the house and an ambulance. Neighbor Amber Morgan expressed disbelief over the incident, saying it was upsetting to learn that a child had died so close to home.
Following Thomas’ arrest, then-Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker thanked the first responders and prosecutors who worked at the scene. In a statement, she said, “We acknowledge the gruesome nature of this tragedy and our hearts are weighted by the loss of this precious life. We trust the criminal justice system to respond appropriately to these awful circumstances.”
The case also highlights the serious consequences of a caregiver’s responsibility for an infant’s safety. Following the sentencing, Thomas will receive credit for the time she has already spent in custody. Her 13-year prison sentence brings the criminal case to a close more than two years after Za’Riah’s death.
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