A heartbreaking case that stunned a Virginia community has ended with prison sentences for two young parents—22-year-old mother Z. Parker and 24-year-old father H. Johnson—after their newborn daughter died from severe injuries that went untreated under their care. On May 4, 2024, the 9-day-old baby arrived at the hospital “cold to the touch” after her parents delayed medical help and tried to treat her wounds with home remedies.
After months of court proceedings and guilty pleas from both parents, Johnson received 19 years in prison in October for second-degree murder. Parker was sentenced to 10 years after pleading guilty to child abuse. 4th Judicial District Judges J. LeCruise and J. Fuschetti issued the sentences.
Johnson and Parker were charged after their daughter suffered a series of horrifying injuries. The investigation began when a children’s hospital alerted authorities on May 4, after the parents brought in their unresponsive infant. They initially told staff she had fallen from her stroller two days earlier while Johnson was jogging. They admitted they didn’t seek medical care sooner because they believed her injuries “were not all that serious” and used witch hazel, peroxide, and gauze instead. They brought her to the hospital only after she stopped breathing and refused to eat.
Medical staff quickly saw signs of severe abuse: burns on her feet, cuts on her face and head, and bruises on her back. Their story about a stroller fall unraveled within minutes, prompting doctors to call police. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined she died from blunt force trauma to the head and torso. The autopsy revealed deep burns consistent with hot liquid, numerous broken ribs, and internal injuries—none matching a simple fall.
Investigators learned the couple, who lived in a tent, never sought timely medical help despite the baby’s clear pain. Authorities couldn’t confirm which parent caused the fatal injuries, though evidence pointed more strongly toward Johnson. Both parents denied harming the child. Their plea deals resulted in the dismissal of one charge each—Parker’s murder charge and Johnson’s child abuse charge.
Attorney R. Fatehi acknowledged the difficulty of the case, saying, “There is no victim more vulnerable than a newborn baby… she came into the world in need of love and protection from her mother and father. What she got instead was suffering and death.” He explained that although the cause of death was clear, proving which parent inflicted each injury could have led to an acquittal at trial. The office chose plea agreements to ensure accountability and secure convictions.
Both parents are now in prison, leaving behind the memory of a child who never had the chance to grow. The baby’s grandfather, who had feared for her safety, expressed his grief: “Now I got to bury my granddaughter because nobody listened.” For many in the community, her loss stands as a painful reminder of the consequences of missed warning signs—and the silence that came too late.
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