A woman in Washington state faces a murder charge after prosecutors accuse her of killing her teenage daughter’s newborn baby.
Dayjanay Thomas, 31, faces charges of second-degree murder and criminal mistreatment. The charges stem from an incident in which she and her 14-year-old daughter allegedly arrived at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, Washington, carrying a dead newborn.
Court documents obtained by the Tacoma News Tribune state that Thomas’ daughter gave birth to a boy in their home on Feb. 10. The teen informed her mother that she had not known she was pregnant. Thomas later told police that she, too, had been unaware of her daughter’s pregnancy.
The teenager delivered the baby at home around 5 a.m. on Feb. 10 and immediately notified her mother. Instead of calling 911, Thomas allegedly told her daughter that they would wait for a friend to transport them to the hospital.
Thomas’ landlord, who owned the house where Thomas rented two upstairs rooms, arrived at the apartment around 11:30 a.m. Thomas then informed the landlord that her daughter was pregnant. Police interviewed the landlord, who reported that the teen had appeared pregnant. However, when the landlord raised the subject with Thomas, Thomas dismissed the comment.
The two women continued their conversation inside the house for several hours. They finally decided to go to the hospital around 6:45 p.m. The landlord agreed to drive Thomas and the teen, who carried a cardboard box. Thomas allegedly told the landlord that the box was there in case the teen became sick to her stomach.
Police said the landlord told them she did not know the teen had given birth when she drove Thomas and her daughter to the hospital.
Court documents state that the body of the teen’s newborn son was inside the box. An autopsy revealed that the baby was alive when he was born and died as a result of eight sharp-force injuries. He also sustained several blunt-force injuries to his head. The manner of death was listed as homicide.
After medical staff alerted police, detectives searched Thomas’ apartment and allegedly found blood on the floor leading from the teen’s bedroom to a bathroom in the hallway. Court documents state that police discovered blood in the bathroom, clothes soaking in the sink, a serrated knife, and a pair of scissors.
Detectives recovered text messages exchanged between Thomas and her daughter from the day the baby was born. One message from Thomas allegedly read, “Okay you have to let them know that [the landlord] and I didn’t know and just let them know you didn’t know what was going on with your body.”
Thomas was arrested on Feb. 23 and charged with criminal mistreatment in connection with her alleged failure to seek medical care for her daughter after she gave birth. Following an investigation into the baby’s death, prosecutors added the second-degree murder charge on Aug. 20 while Thomas remained in jail.
Neither the teen nor the landlord faces charges in connection with the baby’s death.
Thomas is currently in custody at the Pierce County Jail, where she is being held on $500,000 cash bond. A court order prohibits her from contacting her daughter. Her next court date is scheduled for Oct. 1.
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