Parents Sentenced After Claiming 9-Day-Old Baby Died from Stroller Fall: ‘She Got Suffering and Death,’ Prosecutor Says

A Virginia couple has been sentenced in connection with the 2024 death of their 9-day-old daughter.

According to a media release from the Office of the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, Hilary Darnell Johnson II, 24, and his wife, Z’Ibreyea Shantel Parker, 22, brought their newborn daughter, Iijayah, to Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk on May 4, 2024.

When they arrived, hospital staff found the infant unresponsive and “cold to the touch,” and she was later pronounced dead.

Johnson and Parker told medical staff that the baby had fallen from her stroller two days earlier while Johnson was jogging. They claimed they treated her at home using remedies including witch hazel and gauze. They further stated that they chose to seek medical care only after noticing her reduced appetite and difficulty breathing, according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office.

The office said hospital personnel also noted that the parents appeared unable to provide the newborn’s exact birthdate and were laughing during the check-in process.

Medical staff observed multiple signs of suspected abuse, including burns on the bottoms of the baby’s feet, two cuts on her head and face, and bruising on her back. They contacted local authorities after the examination. An autopsy later determined that Iijayah died from blunt-force trauma inconsistent with a fall from a stroller.

Both parents denied injuring the newborn. Investigators were unable to determine which parent caused the fatal injuries, though evidence “pointed more strongly to Mr. Johnson,” according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office.

Johnson accepted a plea deal in August and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. On Oct. 24, he received a 19-year prison sentence, the maximum allowed by law.

Parker also entered a plea deal in August, pleading guilty to felony child abuse. On Oct. 31, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison — the maximum sentence permitted for that charge in Virginia.

During sentencing, Judge Jennifer L. Fuschetti highlighted the baby’s malnourished condition and the continued lack of a clear explanation for her injuries as reasons for imposing the maximum penalty.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said in a statement that “there is no victim more vulnerable than a newborn baby,” adding that Iijayah “came into the world in need of love and protection from her mother and father. What she got instead was suffering and death.”

Fatehi acknowledged the challenges of the case, noting the risk that each parent could have attempted to shift blame onto the other. He emphasized that securing convictions in both cases ensured accountability while allowing the judge to determine sentencing.

Officials from the Norfolk Police Department and the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It is not yet known who is representing Johnson and Parker.