News Digest

Dead infant’s mom says 11-year-old suspect wanted sleepover

The mother of a 2-month-old infant who was allegedly beaten to death by a friend’s daughter has said that it was the 11-year-old girl who asked that the baby stay overnight with her. Trina Whitehead, 31, said that she and the girl’s mother were best friends and that she never saw anything in the girl’s behaviour that concerned her. The 11-year-old has been charged with murder and is being held in a juvenile detention center. A judge entered a not guilty plea for the girl on Monday and has ordered a psychiatric evaluation.

I definitely trusted her, I never thought my baby would be put in some type of harm.

Trina Whitehead, mother of murdered 2-month-old infant Zuri Whitehead

Whitehead said the 11-year-old’s mother called her around 9:30 p.m. Thursday and said they wanted to keep the baby, Zuri Whitehead overnight. The girl and her mother thought Whitehead deserved a break from caring for the infant. Whitehead said she almost declined the offer because it was so late and she was not prepared, but she relented when they insisted. Police said the 11-year-old girl awakened her mother at about 3:30 a.m. Friday holding the unconscious infant. Zuri died during surgery about six hours later. The medical examiner has not released a cause of death, but police have said Zuri received extensive head and internal injuries.

All she [Zuri] wanted was to be was held and loved.

Trina Whitehead