A Virginia couple has been sentenced to prison for the brutal killing of their 9-day-old baby girl, who was found with severe burns and blunt-force injuries.
Twenty-four-year-old Hilary Johnson II was sentenced to 19 years in prison, and 22-year-old Z’ibreyea S. Parker received 10 years, according to the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
Authorities said the couple brought their infant, I’ijayah Johnson, to Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters on May 4, 2024, where medical staff immediately noticed extensive signs of abuse. The newborn had burns on the bottoms of her feet, cuts on her head and face, and bruising on her back. Doctors pronounced her dead shortly after arrival.
An autopsy revealed that I’ijayah died from blunt force trauma to her head and torso, and from deep burns likely caused by scalding liquid.
Johnson initially told investigators that the baby had fallen from a stroller two days before her death while he was jogging. However, medical examiners determined that her injuries were not consistent with that story. Investigators were unable to prove which parent inflicted the fatal injuries, though prosecutors said the evidence pointed more strongly toward Johnson.
Both parents denied harming their daughter. They told police they treated her injuries at home with witch hazel, peroxide, and gauze, but when her condition worsened, they did not call 911. Instead, they took her to the hospital using public transportation.
Prosecutors said the couple laughed while checking in at the hospital, unable to provide their baby’s exact birthdate. Parker reportedly told medical staff that the injuries “were not all that serious.”
As part of a plea agreement, Johnson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, while Parker pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in serious injury. In exchange, prosecutors dropped one charge against each. Johnson received the maximum sentence allowed under the agreement, while Parker also received the maximum 10-year term after prosecutors requested three years and the defense sought time served.
“There is no victim more vulnerable than a newborn baby,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “I’ijayah came into the world in need of love and protection from her parents. What she got instead was suffering and death.”
At the time of the child’s death, the family was homeless and living in a tent beneath a highway overpass, according to investigators.
Johnson’s father, Hilary Johnson Sr., said he had warned hospital officials about the couple’s ability to care for the infant shortly after her birth. “I said I feared for the girl’s life,” he told WTKR. “Now I’ve got to bury my granddaughter because nobody listened.”
He added that both parents had struggled with mental health issues. “They were bright kids,” he said. “I don’t know what snapped in them. I prayed before she was born that her mother’s instincts would kick in — that she’d want to protect that baby.”
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where I’ijayah was delivered, stated that it follows all legal requirements for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect.