In a heart-wrenching case from Virginia, a young couple faces prison time over abuse that led to the tragic death of their newborn daughter.
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Newborn baby beaten, shaken and burned to death with hot liquid by laughing parents
In a heart-wrenching case from Virginia, a young couple faces prison time over abuse that led to the tragic death of their newborn daughter.
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By Hannah Broughton
05:31 ET, Sun, Nov 9, 2025 Updated: 06:33 ET, Sun, Nov 9, 2025
Baby Iijayah
Baby Iijayah died just 9 days after being born after suffering horrendous abuse (Image: Gofundme)
A couple from Virginia has been sentenced over the death of their baby, who was just nine days old.
Hilary Johnson II, 24, has been sentenced to 19 years behind bars, while 22-year-old Z'ibreyea S. Parker will spend 10 years in prison over the death of their daughter, I'ijayah Johnson, according to the Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney.
In a case that details shocking abuse, alarms were first raised when the couple arrived at the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters with I'ijayah's body at around 12:30 pm on May 4, 2024, and were reportedly "laughing" while at the hospital. They told staff that the baby girl, who was cold to the touch, had fallen from her stroller and hit her head two days prior while her father was jogging.
A press release from Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said, "The parents, who were living in a tent at the time, said that they had not sought medical treatment for Iijayah sooner because they had tried to treat her on their own with witch hazel, peroxide and gauze and that they only got on the Light Rail to bring her to the hospital when they noticed that after appetite had decreased and that she appeared to no longer be breathing.”
Johnson and Parker also struggled to provide a precise birthdate for their daughter, the Commonwealth's Attorney said. Parker claimed the injuries "were not all that serious," according to court documents obtained by local CBS affiliate WTKR.
The press release added, "Hospital staff observed signs of abuse on I'ijayah's body — including burns on the bottoms of her feet, two cuts to the top of her head and face, and bruises on her back.”
Medical professionals contacted Norfolk Police after an autopsy revealed that I'ijayah died from blunt force trauma to her head and torso, with deep partial-thickness burns on her feet, which the Commonwealth's Attorney stated are consistent with burns caused by hot liquid, contributing to her death.
"None of her injuries could be explained by a fall from a stroller," added the Commonwealth's Attorney. The infant girl also had several broken ribs and numerous other internal and external injuries.
Both Johnson and Parker were initially charged with felony child abuse and second-degree murder. "Neither the autopsy nor the investigation nor the statements of Mr. Johnson and Ms. Parker could establish which parent had inflicted Iijayah's injuries, though the evidence pointed more strongly to Mr. Johnson. Both parents denied hurting Iijayah," said the prosecutors.
On August 4, Johnson entered a plea deal, pleading guilty to second-degree murder and facing up to 19 years in prison. In exchange, the Commonwealth agreed to drop the child abuse charge against him.
Later, on August 19, Parker also struck a plea deal, pleading guilty to child abuse. The Commonwealth agreed to dismiss the murder charge against her due to insufficient evidence to support it.
"There is no victim more vulnerable than a newborn baby. Iijayah came into the world in need of love and protection from her mother and father. What she got instead was suffering and death," stated Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi.
"This was a difficult case on the facts, and there were real risks in going to trial, since, while there was no doubt about the nature of Iijayah's injuries, each parent could have blamed the other for inflicting them. In both cases, we secured a conviction and left the sentencing to the wisdom of the judge. We will continue to work the difficult cases and to honor the memory of innocent victims like Iijayah who cannot speak for themselves."