An Ohio mother has pleaded guilty to killing her 3-year-old son months after a judge took him from his foster parents’ care and returned the minor to her.
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Timmeka Eggleton, is said to have killed her son Curtis in 2023, PEOPLE reported. She ultimately pleaded guilty to murder, felonious assault and endangering children on June 11.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office said Curtis, on June 14, 2023, was found unresponsive while the minor was under the care of his mother. Authorities also said the pair were inside a store, and the minor was in his stroller at the time.
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Curtis was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Authorities said the deceased victim’s cause of death was ruled as blunt force trauma “that could not have been accidentally inflicted” on his body.
“This conviction was a significant step in seeking justice for Curtis Witcher – who was just 3 years old when his mother killed him. My deepest condolences remain with all who loved this child,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said in a statement to the news outlet.
In an initial interview with FOX8, the deceased minor’s aunt, LaTorya Witcher-Mosley, said that a judge in March 2023 ordered for the 3-year-old to be returned to Eggleton after two-and-a-half years of the minor being under foster care. Witcher-Mosley also said an attorney representing the 3-year-old even raised issues with the decision. Curtis died months after he was permanently returned to his biological mother.
FOX8 also interviewed Curtis’ foster parents after his death. The pair said that the minor was just seven days old when he was placed under their care. They also said Curtis was ultimately returned to Eggleton despite their intention to adopt him.
“Our son should be alive today,” Curtis’ foster mother said. “He brought so much joy.” Eggleton’s sentencing date has been set for July 22, and she faces life in prison.
