Woman was left to care for a baby and 2-year-old child, only for her to beat the children by striking them in the face or head over the course of four days, leaving the infant severely injured and her older sibling dead; sentenced

Mississippi – Mississippi woman was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to capital murder and multiple child abuse charges in connection with the 2022 incident which left 2-year-old child dead and his baby sister seriously injured. The 25-year-old defendant, MakaIie, will not be eligible for parole or any other form of release from incarceration, prosecutors said. During the sentencing, prosecutors also said that the defendant beat the children over the course of 4 days. 

The fatal incident occurred in September 2022. The beating, which began on September 9 and ended on September 12, caused life-threatening injuries for the 2-year-old child after the woman severely hit him in the head. According to the prosecutors, the woman also beat the victim’s baby sister. 

According to the court documents, the investigation process began after the 911 caller told the dispatcher about an unresponsive child at the residence. The responding officers found the child, who was not breathing. The boy, suffering from visible injuries on his head and body, was rushed to the hospital where doctors pronounced him dead. The victim’s baby sister also suffered injuries, but survived the attack. During the investigation process, authorities in Mississippi discovered that the children’s injuries were non-accidental and took the woman, who was taking care of the children, into custody. 

The 25-year-old defendant was accused of hitting the 2-year-old child, Cristian, in the face or head” on three separate occasions—September 9, 12, and 13 of that year. She was also accused of striking his sister in the face or head over three consecutive days—September 11 to 13, 2022. The final count in the indictment revealed that the woman’s actions on September 13 ultimately led to the child’s death. It remains unclear exactly how the defendant, who was babysiting the children, knew the family, but according to a post the victim’s mom shared around the time her son died, she said: ‘How could you be my friend, sis, bff?