A Kansas City woman has been charged in the 2024 death of her 1-month-old daughter, who was found badly burned after allegedly being placed in an oven instead of her crib. Mariah Thomas was initially charged in Jackson County court with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
Thomas was charged with child endangerment. The case dates back to February 9, 2024, when Kansas City police responded to a home near East 41st Street and Forest Avenue on a reported suspicious death of a juvenile. The infant was later identified as Za’riah Thomas, and per charging documents, she was already badly burned when officers arrived at the scene.
What Charging Documents Say Happened
Charging documents state that the mother was putting her child down for a nap and accidentally placed the child in the oven instead of the crib, according to the same station's reporting on the case. kansascity.com reported separately that court documents described the infant as having burn marks on her body and melted clothing when she was found. The Kansas City Star's reporting also noted that the infant was declared dead on Feb. 9 after first responders arrived at the home in the 4100 block of Forest Avenue.
NBC Chicago reported at the time that police and EMS personnel found the 1-month-old unresponsive with burn marks on her body, and that the child was pronounced dead at the scene. CBS17 reported that Thomas was initially charged with a Class A felony of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, death of a child.
A Case That Shifted Charges Over Two Years
The prosecution against Thomas did not stay static. Court records reviewed by kansascity.com show that Thomas was first charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and pleaded not guilty to that charge. A Jackson County grand jury later added a count of first-degree involuntary manslaughter in a superseding indictment, according to the outlet's reporting, though the evidence reviewed does not establish how that additional count was ultimately resolved.
Early in the case, Thomas's bond was reduced from $200,000 to $100,000, with house arrest and GPS monitoring required if she posted bond, FOX4KC reported at the time. KSHB had reported that a jury trial was set for Jan. 13, 2025.
Age discrepancies have surfaced across coverage of the case. ABC News identified Thomas as 26 years old when she was first charged in February 2024, and that report also stated that Thomas could have faced anywhere from 10 years to life in prison if convicted at trial.
