Mother to Get 15 Years in 4-Year-Old's Death

A Prince George's County woman who was charged with murdering her 4-year-old son by drowning him in a bathtub pleaded guilty Monday to lesser charges.

Neesie Thomas, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter and one count of child abuse resulting in death, said Ramon Korionoff, a spokesman for State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey.

She had been charged with drowning Egypt Hussan Thomas in March 2008.

Under the terms of the plea deal, Thomas will be sentenced to 15 years in prison, Korionoff said. Circuit Court Judge Nicholas E. Rattal scheduled sentencing for Sept. 25.

Ivey prosecuted the case himself and was prepared to go to trial. Thomas is the third defendant Ivey has personally prosecuted in his seven years as state's attorney. Korionoff said Ivey was touched by the death of the child.

"It's a sad day for the entire [Thomas] family," Ivey said. "The grandparents of Egypt lost their grandson, and their daughter is going to jail for 15 years. This doesn't bring Egypt back, but the grandparents felt this will bring closure to the family and allow his soul to rest in peace."

According to police charging documents, shortly before 4 p.m. March 24, 2008, officers were summoned to Thomas's apartment in Capitol Heights for a report of a drowning. The officers found Egypt unresponsive in the apartment. The boy was taken to Southern Maryland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The state medical examiner's office ruled the boy's death a homicide by drowning.

About three weeks after Egypt died, detectives questioned Thomas. She said she knocked Egypt into the bathtub and attempted to get him out several times but was unable to do so, the charging documents state.

Thomas told investigators that after several minutes she got Egypt out of the tub but then took time to fix the shower curtain, which the boy had pulled down, and dress him in an attempt to shield herself from suspicion, the charging documents state.