A D.C. mother has been sentenced to 41 years in prison for the murder of her 16-month-old daughter, as per an announcement from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Faneisha Scott, 39, was found guilty of multiple charges, including first-degree cruelty to children, first-degree felony murder with aggravating circumstances, and second-degree cruelty to children, in relation to the death of her daughter, Rhythm Fields, in March 2017. The conviction was handed down by a Superior Court jury on June 11, 2025.
The case unfolded on March 21, 2017, when Scott’s friend, who also serves as the child’s godmother, visited the defendant's home in the 5400 block of C Street, SE, Washington, D.C. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the discovery of the child in an unresponsive state led to a mail carrier being flagged down to call 911. The first responders, including an experienced former firefighter, found the young child lifeless upon arrival. Scott claimed to have last had contact with her daughter at 9:00 a.m. that morning, a statement which surprised authorities.
An autopsy performed by the D.C. Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide, with a cause of death being multiple blunt force injuries. These injuries were detailed as including contusions, abrasions, subdural hemorrhage, cerebral edema, subarachnoid hemorrhage, acute hypoxia-ischemia, retinal, and optic nerve sheath hemorrhage, along with 23 bilateral rib fractures, with evidence of both healing and fresh fractures.
Police Chief Pamela Smith and the Metropolitan Police Department were acknowledged by U.S. Attorney Pirro for their investigative efforts. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma McArthur and Andrea Antonelli were also commended for their work on the case. The sentence aims to deliver justice for the tragic loss of Rhythm Fields, whose life was cut brutally short. The statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office also noted the aggravating circumstances that played a role in the severity of the sentence given to Scott.
