A Michigan woman, aged 30, has been arrested and charged with the brutal murder of a 3-year-old girl she was babysitting. The woman, Iesha Harris, allegedly killed the child, Harmoni Henderson, after the toddler vomited on herself. Harris was taken into custody last week and faces charges of felony murder and first-degree child abuse.
The Detroit Police Department responded to a call at a residence on Southfield Freeway on the afternoon of March 17. According to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, Harris, a close friend of Harmoni’s mother, was looking after the child when the fatal injuries occurred.
Following the incident, Harmoni was rushed to a local hospital but tragically succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma, allegedly inflicted by Harris.
Harris was formally charged and arrested on March 20. She is set to appear in court for a probable cause conference on March 27 and a preliminary examination hearing on April 1. During these proceedings, prosecutors are expected to present more comprehensive evidence and facts.
Capt. Laurie Carter, the head of the Detroit Police Special Victims Unit, who was one of the officers responding to the hospital call, shared some details about the investigation. She expressed her disturbance over the horrific details of Harmoni’s death, stating that no child should ever endure such a fate.
Harmoni’s mother revealed to local media that Harris had violently slammed her daughter’s head into a bathtub, leading to her death. She described Harmoni as a nonverbal autistic child and speculated that Harris might have become frustrated with her, leading to the violent act.
Reports suggest that Harris had locked Harmoni in a room with her own 1-year-old child for about three hours while she smoked marijuana. Upon her return, she allegedly discovered that Harmoni had vomited on herself and reacted violently.
Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Douglas stated that Harris confessed to pouring boiling water on the toddler and slamming her head against the bathtub. The following morning, Harmoni’s mother found her daughter unresponsive in bed when she came to pick her up.
Harris is currently being held without bond at the Andrew C. Baird Detention Facility. A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist Harmoni’s family with her memorial expenses.