A Virginia woman has admitted guilt in the death of her 9-day-old daughter after initially brushing off the baby’s severe injuries as “not all that serious,” according to police and court records.
According to KFox14 News, Norfolk authorities say 24-year-old Z’ibreyea S. Parker pleaded guilty this month to child abuse with serious injury in connection with the death of her daughter, I’ijayah Johnson.
The infant’s father, 22-year-old Hilary D. Johnson II, entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder earlier in August.
The case began on May 4, 2024, when Parker and Johnson rushed their newborn to the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. Police were called to investigate after doctors noted the child was unresponsive and showing multiple signs of abuse. The baby was soon pronounced dead, and two days later, the medical examiner ruled her death a homicide.
Court documents obtained by the outlet revealed the extent of the injuries: severe burns on both feet, splash burns on other areas of her body, bruises on her head, broken ribs, a broken clavicle, and evidence that she had been shaken.
Despite those injuries, investigators say Parker told them she didn’t believe the wounds were severe and tried to treat them with home remedies.
Both parents were initially charged with second-degree murder and child abuse. Under Parker’s plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop the murder charge. Johnson, however, still faces sentencing for second-degree murder.
The couple’s unstable living situation also drew concern. At the time of the baby’s death, Parker and Johnson were reportedly homeless, living in a tent beneath an interstate. Johnson’s father later told Law&Crime that he had raised concerns with authorities before his granddaughter’s death, warning he feared for the child’s safety.
“They was bright kids that I don’t know what in the world snapped into them to live the way they were living,” he said.
Sentencing for Johnson is scheduled for October 24, while Parker is set to be sentenced on October 31.