Texas Mother Sentenced: Life for Killing Baby

Sarah Michelle Gilley-Wroe will spend the rest of her life in prison.

A Midland, Texas jury handed the 24-year-old a life sentence without the possibility of parole on Friday. The verdict came after she was convicted of one count of capital murder for the death of her daughter, who was only five weeks old at the time.

The infant died on May 11, 2022, at Midland Memorial Hospital. Medical examiners determined the cause of death was severe head trauma. Evidence showed two fractures in the back of the skull, consistent with blunt force impacts.

Investigators reviewed Gilley-Wroe’s digital footprint and found Google searches that supported their theory of the crime. While in custody, she also made statements to a cellmate that prosecutors used to build their case. She told the inmate that she threw the baby against a wall and struck the child until the crying stopped.

Authorities noted that Gilley-Wroe was the only person alone with the infant during the window when the injuries occurred. She initially blamed the baby’s father, her aunt, or the family dog for the trauma.

Medical experts compared the force needed to break the skull to the impact of a fall from a two-story building. The jury found that evidence sufficient to convict her of capital murder of a child under the age of ten.