Mother Gets 13 Years After Baby Dies in Oven

A Kansas City, Missouri, mother, Mariah Thomas, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty in connection with the death of her one-month-old daughter, who was found with severe burn injuries inside an oven in 2024.

Thomas, 28, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 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 already served. (KMBC)

The case dates back to February 9, 2024, when Kansas City police responded to a home in the 4100 block of Forest Avenue after receiving a report of an infant who was not breathing.

First responders found the baby with apparent burn injuries and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Court documents stated that Thomas told a family member she had intended to put her daughter down for a nap but mistakenly placed her in the oven instead of the crib.

The child was identified in subsequent reports as Za’Riah Thomas. Investigators also reported finding a baby blanket with burn marks, while the infant’s clothing had apparently melted onto her diaper.

Thomas had initially faced a first-degree murder charge. However, under the plea agreement accepted by the court, the murder charge was dismissed and she was sentenced on the child-endangerment charge. The judge ordered her to serve the prison term without probation.

The original incident attracted widespread attention after the Associated Press reported in February 2024 that prosecutors described the death as a tragic incident and said they trusted the criminal justice system to respond appropriately.