Mother accused of placing infant in oven pleads guilty to child endangerment

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The woman accused of placing her infant in an oven in 2024 entered a guilty plea on Tuesday.

Mariah Thomas pleaded guilty to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child leading to death.

According to a court document, a second charge against Thomas was dropped per a plea agreement. A superseding indictment filed earlier in the month identified the second charge as first-degree murder.

Kansas City, Missouri, police were originally called Feb. 9, 2024, to a home in the 4100 block of Forest Avenue on reports that an infant could not breathe.

Upon arrival, it was discovered the baby was unresponsive and had burn wounds on her body. She died at the scene.

Thomas told family members she thought she had returned her 1-month-old to her crib, per court documents.

Her grandfather told detectives Thomas called him and said something was wrong with the baby. When he arrived at the home, he said he smelled smoke and found the infant dead in her crib.

Thomas’ grandmother told detectives her granddaughter also called her around the same time and was yelling “hysterically.”

As part of Thomas’ guilty plea, she was sentenced to 13 years in the custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections without probation. She will receive credit for time served.

Thomas is also ordered to pay $68 to the Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund and submit to fingerprinting.

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