Woman sentenced to life in prison for murder of her 5-week-old daughter

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA/Gray News) - A woman in Texas has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the death of her 5-week-old daughter.

A jury convicted 24-year-old Sarah Michelle Gilley-Wroe on one count of capital murder of a child under 10 years old.

The infant died May 11, 2022, at Midland Memorial Hospital from severe head trauma.

Investigators said medical evidence showed the girl had two fractures in the back of her skull, and the injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma.

Detectives searched Gilley-Wroe’s phone and found incriminating Google searches. Gilley-Wroe also made incriminating statements while in custody, authorities said.

According to authorities, the 24-year-old told a cellmate that she threw the baby against the wall and struck the girl until she stopped crying.

Gilley-Wroe was the only person alone with the child during the time in which the reported crimes could have occurred.

Medical experts equated the amount of force required to cause the injury to the force of a fall from a two-story building. Gilley-Wroe claimed the injuries could have been caused by her aunt, the baby’s father, or her dog.