An 11-year-old girl from Ohio is reportedly the youngest person in the state to ever be tried for murder after she was charged with beating a 2-month-old infant to death as her mother slept on the couch. The tween's mother was reportedly taking care of her friend's baby in order to give her a break. What happened next is the stuff of nightmares.
The baby, Zuri Whitehead, the woman who was babysitting her, and her 11-year-old daughter were all on a couch downstairs when the mom reportedly fell asleep at around 3 a.m. Less than one hour later, the daughter reportedly woke up her mother while holding the infant, who was badly injured. The only thing mom apparently knew at that point was that her daughter took the baby upstairs, and when she returned back downstairs, the infant was bleeding and had a swollen head.
Police say they believe the girl took the baby into a different room and beat her.
The mother called 911 right away and the infant was flown to a hospital in Cleveland. Sadly, the baby didn't survive her injuries and reportedly died during surgery.
Zuri's mother, Trina Whitehead, had reportedly been friends with the suspect's mother for five or six years and, as a mother of three other children, likely assumed she was getting a chance to relax for a night while her friend took care of her infant. I cannot begin to imagine how Whitehead or her friend feels about this horrific tragedy.
The 11-year-old is being held without bond and is expected to undergo mental evaluations. In order to be tried as an adult in Ohio, a person must be at least 14 years old, but the girl could be held at a State Department of Youth Services facility until she turns 21.
According to police, she didn't show remorse at her hearing but may not be aware of the gravity of her actions.
The girl's mother has not been charged with a crime.
Who do you think should be held responsible for this alleged crime and what consequence should she face?
Image via Janine/Flickr