2-month-old girl hospitalized with multiple fractures and brain bleed after her mother said “she want to shake her to death or throw her on top of the floor so hard she dies;” mother charged
State of Washington – In a deeply disturbing case in Washington State, a 27-year-old mother, identified as S. McNease, is now facing serious felony charges after her 2-month-old daughter was hospitalized with a brain bleed and dozens of bone fractures—injuries medical professionals say could only have resulted from intentional abuse. The mother, McNease, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault of a child following the August 7 hospitalization of her infant daughter.
McNease was taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies and is currently being held in the county jail on a $1 million bond. The charges stem not only from the baby’s extensive injuries, but also from a series of graphic and deeply troubling messages McNease allegedly sent to the baby’s father and a friend, where she expressed violent thoughts about harming her daughter. Authorities began their investigation after the infant’s father brought the baby girl to a local emergency room, where medical staff were immediately alarmed by the nature of the injuries. After being transferred to a children’s hospital, doctors confirmed that the baby had suffered a brain bleed, 20 rib fractures, and six metaphyseal fractures — a specific type of injury commonly linked to child abuse involving violent shaking or twisting of limbs.
Doctors concluded the trauma was “non-accidental,” and noted that such injuries could not have resulted from ordinary infant care. According to court documents, metaphyseal fractures, in particular, are typically caused when an infant’s limbs are pulled or twisted with force, or when a child is violently shaken. These fractures, doctors stressed, do not occur from routine handling, accidental drops, or even a pet jumping on the child — explanations initially offered by both parents.
As the investigation unfolded, detectives reportedly uncovered private messages that painted an even darker picture of McNease’s state of mind. In one of the most damning statements shared in a message to a friend, McNease allegedly wrote: “Like I legit want to shake her to death or throw her on top of the floor so hard she dies. Only when she’s crying and screaming though, which I guess is almost pretty much all the time at this point. Her cries make me feel like I’m gonna snap and murder.” In a separate exchange with the child’s father, she reportedly complained, “I can’t stand her dude,” and said the baby was “back on her BS again.”
Though McNease admitted to police that she had sent the messages, she claimed her words were a reflection of severe postpartum depression and emotional distress. She told investigators she didn’t actually mean what she had written. Yet, in other messages, she revealed a conflicted emotional state — expressing both intense love and overwhelming frustration toward her infant daughter. In one message, she described her daughter as “the realest and truest love of my life,” adding, “I adore her down to her bones.” Still, her other statements revealed a spiral of mental deterioration as she confessed that “the stress is eating my f—ing sanity to bits. Faster and faster every day.”
Thankfully, the infant survived her injuries and is now in the care of relatives. Reports indicate she is currently staying with her grandparents while the investigation continues. The baby’s father has not been charged with any crimes, though police confirmed that both parents initially denied any abuse had taken place. McNease is scheduled to appear in court on September 26. Her charges — attempted murder and assault on a child — are among the most severe in the state’s criminal code and could carry a lengthy prison sentence if she is convicted. As of now, the case remains under active investigation.
