Mom Who Says She ‘Mistakenly’ Put Baby in Oven Instead of Crib Charged with Manslaughter
A woman from Kansas City, Missouri, is facing serious charges after saying she accidentally put her newborn baby in an oven instead of a crib.
Mariah Thomas, 26, was charged with involuntary manslaughter after the tragic death of her one-month-old baby. The incident happened on February 9, 2024.
At first, Thomas was charged with child endangerment and causing the death of a child. However, on December 5, a grand jury added a more serious charge of involuntary manslaughter. According to The Kansas City Star, Thomas has pleaded not guilty, and her trial is set to begin on January 13, 2025.
The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office explained what happened in a statement. Thomas told authorities she was trying to put her baby down for a nap, but instead of placing the baby in the crib, she accidentally put the child into a hot oven. Tragically, the oven was smoldering at the time.
Police were called to the home at around 1:30 p.m. on February 9 after someone reported an unresponsive infant. When officers arrived, they found the baby with severe burns on its body, and the infant’s clothes were melted.
The court documents also mentioned that Thomas told another adult in the home, “I thought I put [the baby] in her crib, but I accidentally put her in the oven.”
The other adult, who was not home during the incident, rushed back after receiving a panicked phone call from Thomas about what had happened. The tragedy took place in a house in the Manheim Park neighborhood near 41st Street and Forest Avenue.
Jean Peters Baker, the Jackson County Prosecutor, spoke about the heartbreaking situation in a public statement. “This is a terrible tragedy, and we are deeply saddened by the loss of such a precious life. We know this case is very upsetting, but we trust the justice system to handle it appropriately.”
This incident has shocked the local community. Many are struggling to understand how such a tragedy could happen. The case will now go to trial, where more details about what happened and Thomas’s mental state may come to light.
