Missouri Mother Sentenced to 13 Years for Infant's Death in Oven

A Missouri mother has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after admitting to causing the death of her 1-month-old infant daughter by placing her in an oven instead of a crib. Mariah Thomas, 28, pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death.

A first-degree murder charge previously filed against Thomas was dismissed as part of the plea agreement, according to Jackson County court records. She will receive credit for time already served and was ordered to pay $68 to Missouri’s Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund, with other court costs waived.

Police were called to a Kansas City home on February 9, 2024, after a report of a baby who was not breathing. Responding officers found the infant, identified as Za'riah Thomas, with severe burns across her body. Fire department personnel pronounced her dead at the scene.

According to charging documents, Thomas told investigators she had gone to put her daughter down for a nap and "accidentally placed her in the oven instead of the crib." A family member later relayed to detectives that Thomas had said, "I thought I put [her] in her crib and I accidentally put her in the oven."

Investigators found that the infant’s clothing appeared to have melted onto her diaper due to the burns. A baby blanket with significant burn marks was also recovered from the living room.

At the time of the initial charges in February 2024, then-Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker described the incident as a "gruesome" tragedy. Court records indicate that prosecutors had initially charged Thomas only with endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death, later adding the first-degree murder count that was ultimately dismissed.

Judge Sarah A. Castle accepted Thomas' guilty plea, finding that she entered it freely and voluntarily and understood the charge and its consequences. The judgment stated that Thomas did not present a mental disease or defect defense.