A Detroit jury has convicted 25-year-old Michael Yharbrough of first-degree murder, torture and first-degree child abuse in the death of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old son, capping a brutal case that unfolded on the city’s west side. Yharbrough is scheduled for sentencing at 9 a.m. on June 26 in Detroit’s Third Circuit Court. The child’s mother, 36-year-old Brianna Simmons, will be sentenced separately at 9 a.m. on June 23 after entering a guilty plea under a deal with prosecutors. Authorities say the boy died after suffering repeated injuries at a home on Rutherford Street in early 2025.
Verdict and upcoming hearings
According to ClickOnDetroit, jurors returned the guilty verdict for Yharbrough yesterday, and court records list both sentencing dates for later this month. The outlet reports that Simmons pleaded guilty to second-degree child abuse on May 8 as part of a plea agreement. In exchange, prosecutors dropped earlier counts of first-degree murder, first-degree child abuse and torture. The Third Circuit Court docket reflects the two hearings scheduled for late June.
Prosecutors say the boy suffered repeated injuries
Prosecutors argued that the 3-year-old endured multiple injuries across several months before his death, and that child protective services repeatedly removed and then returned him to the home, according to FOX 2 Detroit. Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Brittany Johnson told the court, “She aided and abetted her co-defendant, and it led to this child’s ultimate death,” the station reports. Police say the boy’s fatal injuries were discovered at the Rutherford Street residence on Detroit’s west side.
Court records and case history
Wayne County booking logs show that Brianna Simmons was arrested on June 9, 2025, and initially booked on homicide, torture and first-degree child abuse charges under docket number 25-7202-02, according to the Wayne County Sheriff inmate inquiry. ClickOnDetroit reports that she later pleaded to the reduced child abuse charge, while Yharbrough went to trial and was convicted by a jury after testimony that included medical records and witness accounts. Prosecutors have not publicly released their specific sentencing recommendations ahead of the June hearings.
Legal implications
Under Michigan law, a first-degree murder conviction can carry life in prison without the possibility of parole, and the state’s torture statute allows for a maximum sentence of life or a term of years, as reflected in state code and legal summaries such as FindLaw and the Michigan Penal Code. The ultimate sentences will depend on statutory requirements, the terms of Simmons’ plea, and how the judge weighs aggravating and mitigating factors in each case. Arguments from both defense and prosecution at the hearings will shape where within those legal limits the final sentences land.
What to watch next
Sentencing hearings for Simmons at 9 a.m. on June 23 and for Yharbrough at 9 a.m. on June 26 are set in Detroit’s Third Circuit Court, where judges are expected to hear victim impact statements along with the parties’ sentencing arguments. The proceedings should clarify how the court views the evidence and the prolonged abuse described by prosecutors. Local court dockets and subsequent press reports are expected to detail the final rulings and sentence lengths once the hearings conclude.
