Babysitter Who Murdered 22-Month-Old She Was Watching Sentenced to Life in Prison By Liam Quinn

A Michigan woman who murdered a 22-month-old child she was babysitting was sentenced to life in prison.

Kimora Hodges, 24, was found guilty in July 2025 of felony murder and first-degree child abuse following a six-day trial, the Macomb County Prosecutor said in a press release on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Hodges was initially charged in June 2022 after the child died. Officials determined he suffered multiple injuries, “including a subdural hemorrhage and bilateral retinal hemorrhages,” per the release.

At the time, WDIV, citing police, reported that Hodges called the child’s mother, Taylor Starks, 18, and claimed the 22-month-old, Kyrie, was suffering an allergic reaction after ingesting soap. But according to Starks, Kyrie was having seizures when she arrived home and he was taken to the hospital.

“He had blunt force trauma to the head, and he was bleeding out his ears and had to have immediate brain surgery,” Starks told WJBK. “All I know is she threw my son into the wall and shook him up pretty bad, and they said that’s just a bit of what she did to him.”

Hodges was sentenced on Nov. 4 to life in prison without parole for the murder conviction and 15 to 40 years for the child abuse charge.

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“The sentence handed down today reflects the severity of the crime committed. The defendant’s actions resulted in the tragic death of an innocent child, and the court has imposed a life sentence without the possibility of parole to hold her fully accountable,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a statement. “Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family, whose lives have been forever changed by this senseless act. The justice system has a duty to protect the most vulnerable, and today’s sentence underscores that duty.”

Following Kyrie’s death, his mother posted a tribute on Instagram.

“I’m hurting so bad because you know you were my everything!!,” she wrote. “I had you at 16 by myself and we been doing this together ever since. We were growing up together. No matter how bad we struggled or was going thru, you never judged me.”