Mother let 16-month-old ‘waste away’ and die, AZ officials say. She’s going to prison

A 48-year-old mom was sentenced to prison after her daughter died from starvation, Arizona officials said.

Denise Janelle Snow-Ingram is accused of medical neglect and malnutrition that led to the death of her 16-month-old child, according to a Jan. 23 news release by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said the toddler weighed less than nine pounds, according to the release. She was only fed watered-down apple juice, oatmeal and occasional fruit.

After the baby stopped breastfeeding, she was no longer offered any foods with calcium or protein, officials said.

“The defendant allowed her daughter to physically waste away because of her neglect and mistreatment. No child should be treated this way,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in the release. “While this little girl is no longer with us, I hope she knows, and her siblings know, that there were people committed to fighting for justice for her.”

In November, Snow-Ingram was found guilty of second-degree murder and child abuse, officials said.

Snow-Ingram was sentenced to 37 years in prison, officials said.

The child’s father was sentenced to prison in 2022 on charges of manslaughter and child abuse, authorities said.

Maricopa County is in south-central Arizona and includes the Phoenix metropolitan area.

This story was originally published January 23, 2024 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Mother let 16-month-old ‘waste away’ and die, AZ officials say. She’s going to prison."