A Kansas City mother has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty in the 2024 death of her 1-month-old daughter, a case that began with a disturbing report to police and later led to a first-degree murder charge.
Mariah Thomas, 28, pleaded guilty Tuesday, Sept. 22, to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death. A Jackson County judge sentenced her to 13 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, with credit for time she has already served. She was not granted probation.
The case stems from Feb. 9, 2024, when Kansas City police were called to a home in the 4100 block of Forest Avenue after receiving a report that an infant was not breathing. First responders found the baby unresponsive with severe burn injuries, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The child was identified as Za’Riah Mae Thomas.
What happened in the home
According to court documents, a family member told investigators that Thomas had been alone with her daughter after other relatives left the home earlier that day.
Thomas later contacted a relative and said something was wrong with the baby and that he needed to return home immediately. When he arrived, he reported smelling smoke inside the house.
Investigators said Thomas told the relative that she believed she had placed Za’Riah in her crib but had accidentally put her in the oven instead.
Police documented extensive thermal injuries on the infant. Investigators also reported that the baby’s clothing appeared to have melted onto her diaper and that a baby blanket recovered from the home showed significant burn damage.
Thomas initially declined to speak with detectives after being advised of her rights, according to the investigation. She later agreed to provide a blood sample and allow investigators to access information from her cellphone.
Murder charge dismissed as part of plea agreement
Thomas was originally prosecuted in connection with the infant’s death and later faced a first-degree murder charge.
Under the plea agreement accepted Tuesday, prosecutors dismissed that murder charge after Thomas pleaded guilty to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death. The guilty plea resolved the case without a trial on the murder allegation.
Jackson County Judge Sarah A. Castle accepted the plea and imposed the 13-year sentence. Thomas is expected to be transferred to the Missouri Department of Corrections to serve the remainder of her sentence. She was also ordered to pay $68 to Missouri’s Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund.
The sentencing comes more than two years after Za’Riah’s death, bringing the criminal case to a close with the plea agreement.
For relatives and neighbors, the events of February 2024 remain tied to the sudden loss of an infant. The latest court action now establishes the sentence Thomas will serve for the child-endangerment conviction.
