A couple from Virginia has been sentenced to prison for the tragic death of their nine-day-old daughter, as confirmed by law enforcement officials. Hilary Darnell Johnson II, 24, admitted to a charge of second-degree murder in early August. Later that month, Z’ibreyea Shantel Parker, 22, confessed to a count of child abuse. The duo received their sentences in separate court hearings.
In October, Judge Jamilah D. LeCruise of the 4th Judicial District handed Johnson a 19-year prison term. Judge Jennifer L. Fuschetti, also of the 4th Judicial District, sentenced Parker to a decade behind bars on a subsequent Friday.
The couple’s actions resulted in the death of their infant daughter, I’ijayah, who was found lifeless and cold when they brought her to the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters on May 4, 2024, as per a statement from the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. The parents claimed that the child had fallen from her stroller and hit her head two days prior while Johnson was jogging.
The couple, who were living in a tent at the time, stated that they had attempted to treat I’ijayah’s injuries themselves with witch hazel, peroxide, and gauze. They decided to take her to the hospital when they noticed a decrease in her appetite and that she seemed to have stopped breathing. However, they had difficulty providing the hospital staff with an accurate birth date for their child.
Parker initially downplayed the severity of the injuries. However, hospital staff noticed signs of abuse on I’ijayah’s body, including burns on her feet, cuts on her head and face, and bruises on her back. This led to the involvement of the police.
An autopsy revealed further evidence of abuse. The medical examiner concluded that the infant had died from blunt trauma to her head and torso. Deep partial-thickness burns, likely caused by hot liquid, were also identified as a contributing factor to her premature death. The autopsy report also noted several broken ribs and multiple other internal and external injuries, none of which could be attributed to a fall from a stroller.
While prosecutors could not definitively determine which parent was responsible for the fatal injuries, the evidence suggested Johnson was more likely the perpetrator. Both parents, however, denied causing harm to the child.
As part of their plea agreements, each parent had one of the initial charges against them dropped. Johnson was no longer accused of child abuse, while Parker was no longer charged with murder.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi expressed his sorrow over the case, stating, “There is no victim more vulnerable than a newborn baby. I’ijayah came into the world in need of love and protection from her mother and father. What she got instead was suffering and death.”