A Pierce County woman is currently facing a second-degree murder charge following the death of her teenage daughter’s newborn baby. Dayjanay Thomas, 31, was initially arrested on February 23 for first-degree criminal mistreatment, but prosecutors updated the charges on August 20 to include second-degree felony murder.
The News Tribune reported that on February 10, Thomas and her 14-year-old daughter arrived at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, Washington, carrying a cardboard box that contained a deceased newborn. According to court records, Thomas told detectives at the hospital that she was unaware of her daughter’s pregnancy or that she had even given birth at their home. Thomas claimed she was asleep until around 11:00 AM that day.
Per the outlet, she further told investigators that her daughter had been experiencing stomach pains, vomiting, and constipation for several months. The teenager, however, provided a different account to a surgeon at the hospital. She stated that she had given birth around 5:00 AM and had alerted her mother immediately. Per court records, the teen stated that her mother did not call 911 but instead told her they would wait for a ride from a friend.
Court records indicate an attempt to control the narrative
According to Law & Crime, their landlord, who rented two upstairs rooms to Thomas, eventually drove the pair to the hospital. Court records indicate that the landlord had previously noticed that the daughter appeared to be pregnant, but when she mentioned it to Thomas, the mother and daughter “did not take the comment seriously.”
The landlord reportedly told detectives that on February 10, around 11:30 AM, she saw Thomas in the kitchen looking “sad.” Thomas then admitted that her daughter was pregnant but did not mention that the birth had already occurred. The landlord stated that they spent about four hours talking, after which Thomas requested a ride to the hospital.
Law & Crime reported that when the landlord entered the car to drive them, she noticed the mother and daughter were already holding a cardboard box. Thomas told the landlord that the box was for her daughter to vomit into, according to court documents. The landlord stated she was completely unaware that the daughter had given birth until they arrived at the hospital.
The News Tribune reported that an autopsy performed by the Pierce County Medical Examiner revealed that the newborn was alive when born. The official cause of death was determined to be homicide resulting from multiple sharp-force injuries.
The medical examiner found eight sharp-force wounds, with injuries to the torso consistent with being caused by a pair of scissors, as well as blunt-force injuries to the infant’s scalp. In another distressing case, a man was recently accused of killing the two-month-old child of his ex.
The outlet wrote that during a search of the residence on February 10, detectives found what appeared to be blood on the floor and a footprint leading from the daughter’s bedroom to the hallway bathroom. Inside the bathroom, investigators discovered blood, wet clothing soaking in the sink, a serrated knife in the sink, and a pair of scissors in the shower stall. Recently, an Iowan childcare worker was charged with murder after allegedly killing her premature baby.
Detectives also recovered text messages between the mother and daughter from the day after the birth, while the teenager was still hospitalized, per The News Tribune. The exchange occurred when the daughter told her mother that social workers had stopped by.
According to court records, Thomas texted her daughter, “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.” The daughter responded, “Yes I know I know what to say but I cannot say anything if nobody has asked me anything.”
When asked about the six-month gap between the initial charges and the murder charge, Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Adam Faber told The News Tribune via email that “this case remained under investigation for quite some time, and we did a very careful review of the evidence before filing a murder charge.” Faber did not provide a comment when asked if the teenager would face any charges.
According to Law and Crime, Thomas has entered a plea of not guilty and is currently awaiting further proceedings. She is now being held at the Pierce County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond. KIRO 7 reported that, per court documents, Thomas faces a possible life sentence as well as a potential fine of up to $70,000. A judge has also issued a strict order prohibiting Thomas from having any contact with her daughter while the case is ongoing.
Published: Sep 26, 2026 02:30 pm