3 Women Charged with Murder of Girl, 6, Who Weighed Just 27 Lbs. When She Died and Was Allegedly Kept in a Dog Crate

Three women in North Carolina are facing first-degree murder charges and multiple counts of child abuse following the death of a 6-year-old girl in their Charlotte home.

Susan Robinson, 61, Tonya McKnight, 51, and Tery’n McKnight, 22, were arrested in late December 2025 after the death of 6-year-old Dominique Moody, according to Mecklenburg County public inmate records. All three were initially charged with several counts of child abuse and were later charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday, Feb. 4, according to local outlet WBTV 3.

Police responded to a call for medical assistance at a residence on Gwynne Hill Road in Charlotte around 7:40 a.m. on Dec. 16, 2025. The caller told 911 that a child in the home was not breathing, according to an affidavit obtained by investigators.

Dominique was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:29 a.m. the same morning.

Hospital staff told police that the child weighed only 27 pounds at the time of her death. Authorities reported that she had what appeared to be healed ligature marks on her arms and legs, broken bones, and multiple open wounds, including one that appeared to be a burn. Police also noted that her hair, nails, and body were dirty and that she had sores around her genitals and buttocks consistent with prolonged exposure to soiled diapers.

Investigators described the home where Dominique lived with the three women as “extremely unkempt,” with a strong odor of feces and urine. According to the affidavit, rats were seen inside the residence, and the home appeared to lack centralized heating despite sub-zero winter temperatures.

Police said four other children were living in the home at the time. During interviews, the children told investigators that Dominique was often kept inside a dog crate.

Authorities also cited alleged text messages between Robinson and Tonya McKnight, who was Dominique’s legal guardian. The messages reportedly included photos taken in November 2025 showing the child restrained with duct tape. Investigators said the messages suggested Dominique was regularly denied food, despite food being present in the home.

Records show police had responded to the residence nearly 50 times in the years leading up to Dominique’s death, and social services had received five reports alleging abuse or neglect, according to documents obtained by WBTV 3.

Mecklenburg District Court Judge Cecilia Oseguera denied bond for all three women on Thursday, Feb. 5, according to court documents obtained by Law&Crime.com. Attorneys for the defendants have not publicly commented on the case.