A Missouri woman faces charges of involuntary manslaughter following a tragic incident in which she accidentally placed her newborn in an oven rather than in a crib. Mariah Thomas, 26, was initially charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and death of a child after the February 9 incident, according to a press release from the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office.
On December 5, a Jackson County grand jury added an involuntary manslaughter charge against Thomas, as reported by The Kansas City Star.
Authorities were dispatched to Thomas's residence near 41st Street and Forest Avenue around 1:30 p.m. after receiving a call about a "non-breathing infant." Upon arrival, officers discovered the baby, who was just one month old, showing signs of burns and with melted clothing, raising concerns about the circumstances surrounding the infant's death.
Thomas reportedly told investigators that she intended to place her baby down for a nap but mistakenly put the child in the oven instead of the crib. According to court documents, she expressed her distress to a housemate, stating, “I thought I put [redacted] in her crib and I accidentally put her in the oven.” That individual had returned home from work after receiving a panicked phone call from Thomas regarding the infant.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker acknowledged the severity of the situation, saying, “We recognize the tragic nature of this event, and our hearts are heavy with the loss of this precious life. We trust the criminal justice system to respond appropriately to these awful circumstances.”
Thomas has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge, and further proceedings are expected as the case moves forward.
