A 31-year-old Pierce County woman is facing a second-degree murder charge after her teenage daughter gave birth at home in February and the newborn later arrived at a Tacoma hospital already dead, tucked inside a cardboard box. Dayjanay Thomas was arrested on February 23, 2026, and prosecutors spent nearly six months building their case before escalating the charge.
According to court records cited by the Tacoma News Tribune, Thomas and her 14-year-old daughter arrived at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital on February 10, 2026, with the deceased newborn inside a cardboard box. Thomas was initially charged with first-degree criminal mistreatment, and prosecutors alleged she caused the newborn's death while committing that crime. On August 20, 2026, prosecutors updated the charge to second-degree felony murder, and Thomas has since entered a not-guilty plea.
Thomas is now held in lieu of $500,000 bail; her bail was initially set at $100,000. A judge has also ordered Thomas not to contact her daughter while the case is pending.
What Detectives Found Inside the Home
Detectives who searched Thomas's residence on February 10 discovered apparent blood on the floor, with a footprint tracking from the 14-year-old's bedroom into the hallway bathroom, the same court records show. In the bathroom, investigators found more blood, wet clothing in the sink, and a tub filled with soapy water. A serrated knife was recovered from the sink, and a pair of scissors was found in the shower stall.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office found the infant had eight sharp-force injuries along with blunt-force injuries to the scalp, according to the same report. Investigators noted the wounds to the baby's torso were consistent with injuries that could be caused by a pair of scissors. The medical examiner's office determined the child was alive at birth and ruled the cause of death a homicide by multiple sharp-force injuries.
A Delayed Trip to the Hospital
Court records indicate the teenage daughter gave birth at around 5 a.m. on February 10 and alerted her mother immediately afterward. Thomas told detectives she did not call 911 and instead told her daughter they would wait for a ride from a friend. Thomas also reported that her daughter had experienced stomach pains, constipation and vomiting for several months, and told detectives she was unaware her daughter had been pregnant or had given birth in their home, saying she had been in a deep sleep until around 11 a.m.
Thomas's landlord, who rented Thomas two upstairs rooms in the landlord's house, told investigators she had noticed the daughter appeared to be pregnant. The landlord had previously commented on the apparent pregnancy, and Thomas and her daughter did not take the comment seriously. Around 11:30 a.m. that day, the landlord spoke with Thomas, who said her daughter was pregnant. Thomas spoke with the landlord for around four hours before asking her for a ride to the hospital, but they still waited another 35 to 40 minutes before leaving. Thomas told the landlord the cardboard box was meant for her daughter to vomit into; the landlord told investigators she only learned the daughter had given birth once they reached the emergency room, where she drove them.
Text Messages Cited in the Case
Investigators also recovered text messages exchanged between Thomas and her daughter, according to the same court records. In one exchange, the 14-year-old told her mother that social workers had stopped by, and Thomas texted back that her daughter had to tell them that neither Thomas nor the landlord knew what was happening. Thomas also told her daughter to say that the daughter did not know what was going on with her body. The daughter responded that she could not say anything unless somebody asked her directly.
Pierce County Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Adam Faber declined to comment on whether the teenage daughter or the landlord could face charges of their own, the News Tribune reported, leaving that question unresolved as the case moves forward.
The Legal Threshold Prosecutors Must Meet
Washington's pattern jury instruction on second-degree felony murder is WPIC 27.04.
The case remains pending as Thomas awaits further proceedings from jail. No additional details on hearing dates or the disposition of the underlying criminal mistreatment allegations have been made public in the court records reviewed so far.
