Mansfield woman sentenced to life for smothering 9-year-old niece
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: North Texas woman admits smothering 9-year-old niece with pillow
Macy Jenkins reports.
MANSFIELD, Texas - A North Texas woman was sentenced to life in prison after admitting she smothered her young niece with a pillow.
What's new:
A Tarrant County jury found Mercia Sneed guilty of capital murder and injury to a child causing serious bodily harm for the 2019 death of 9-year-old Melodi Sneed.
She was then given two life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Mercia Sneed (2019)
What they're saying:
"Today is about Melodi," Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Charlie Boulware said during closing arguments. "Melodi's family has waited seven years, seven long years. We are asking for a swift verdict for Melodi's family and for Melodi."
The backstory:
Mansfield police arrested Sneed after they found the 9-year-old unresponsive in her family’s new home on Eagle Drive on July 27, 2019. She was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
According to prosecutors, the murder happened after all the other adults in the house had gone to bed and Melodi had fallen asleep on the couch in the game room.
Sneed told her 13-year-old son to leave the room, and then she pressed a pillow over Melodi’s face for several minutes.
Prosecutors said the little girl tried to scream and fight back but was no match for her aunt. Once she stopped struggling, Sneed wiped her face and got rid of the pillow.
Later, as police were investigating the little girl’s death, Sneed’s son told police he saw what had happened. Sneed then confessed to smothering Melodi.
No motive was even given for the murder.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office and post news coverage.