A heartbreaking case from Arkansas has left a community shaken after a baby boy died from a brain bleed while in the care of a woman who was supposed to be protecting him. The woman now faces murder and child abuse charges following disturbing revelations about what happened inside her home.
Woman Charged After Baby’s Death
Authorities say 29-year-old Tessa Jonell Thompson has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a baby boy she had taken into her home. She was arrested last month and formally charged on Thursday.
According to investigators, the baby was rushed to Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home on August 29 after a 911 call reported he was “barely breathing.”
When police arrived, they found the infant intubated and noticed “obvious bruising” on his face. Hospital staff also reported that the bruises had been covered with makeup, as if someone had tried to hide them.
Doctors diagnosed the baby with a brain bleed and transferred him to a children’s hospital in Little Rock. Sadly, he died the next day after being placed on life support.
Confession to Abuse
Police interviewed Thompson, who had been caring for the baby and his 2-year-old sister for about a week and a half because their biological mother didn’t have a stable home. Thompson lived with her 5-year-old daughter and her mother.
During questioning, Thompson admitted she became “upset” and slammed the baby in his playpen. At first, she claimed he hit the back of his head, but when confronted with the bruise on his face, she confessed to striking him “hard with an open palm” earlier that day.
She told police she waited 10 to 15 minutes before applying makeup to cover the bruise. Shortly after, she realized the baby wasn’t breathing.
Signs of More Abuse
When Thompson’s mother later brought the 2-year-old girl to the sheriff’s office, investigators noticed a large bruise on her face. Thompson admitted she had hit the toddler because she was upset at her crying.
The 2-year-old has since been placed with a friend of her biological mother, while Thompson’s 5-year-old daughter is now in the custody of the Arkansas Department of Human Services.
Charges and Custody
Thompson is being held at the Baxter County Jail on a $100,000 bond. She is facing multiple charges, including:
Second-degree murder
First-degree domestic battery causing serious injury
Second-degree domestic battery
Community Shock
The case has raised questions about child safety, foster arrangements, and the responsibility of caregivers who step in when parents are struggling. What was supposed to be a safe home for two vulnerable children instead turned into a nightmare, ending with one child dead and another physically abused.
