Thomason Found Guilty of Infant Daughter's Murder

Print

Published on March 3 2016 4:15 pm
Last Updated on March 3 2016 4:15 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

A Marion County Jury deliberated for just under three hours on Thursday before finding Christina Thomason guilty of first degree murder of her three month old daughter Airabella in March of last year.

Thomason sat quietly as Judge Mark Stedelin read the verdict. The judge set sentencing for April 12th at one pm.

Marion County State's Attorney Matt Wilzbach was pleased with the verdict and commended the Salem Police Department, Child Death Task Force, and State Police for putting together an excellent case. He says Thomason faces a sentence of between 20 to 60 years in prison. Wilzbach has not yet decided what sentence he will be seeking. He notes Thomason has no past criminal record.

At the recommendation of Wilzbach, Judge Stedelin revoked Thomason's $1,000,000 bond that she has been held on at the Marion County Jail since her arrest the day after her daughter's death.

In closing arguments this morning, Public Defender Matt Chancey claimed all the prosecution had done was guess her guilty. He said they had not proven Thomason wanted to kill her three-month old daughter and had at most showed she used poor judgement or foolishness. Chancey asked the jury to find Thomason not guilty or at most guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

Wilzbach argued all of Thomason's actions from breaking her own water to induce birth ten weeks early, giving the baby a toxic overdose of Hydroxin, placing the blankets over Airabella's body and head and applying pressure, listening for the baby to stop crying on the baby monitor while in the bathroom to not calling 911 for almost an hour all go to show her intent to kill the baby.