Mother with Mental Illness Accidentally Puts Baby in Oven, Resulting in Tragic Death

Mariah Thomas, the Missouri mother charged with endangering the welfare of a child after her 1-month-old daughter Za'Riah died from thermal burns, had a history of mental illness and had stopped taking her medication during pregnancy, according to a friend. The friend believes Thomas did not purposefully harm her baby and insists that Thomas loved her child dearly. Thomas, who claimed she accidentally put the baby in the oven instead of the crib, lived with her parents and was alone with Za'Riah when the incident occurred.