Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison announced that their mother would be facing charges for their deaths, less than one day after they discovered the bodies of a girl aged six and a boy aged eight in an apartment complex in Southwest Baltimore.
Harrison stated that Jamerria Hall, 28, of Baltimore, is facing charges for the mother of DaNeira Thomas (6 years old) and Davin Thomas Jr. (8 years old), whose bodies were discovered in their apartment at 500 Block of Coventry Road on Tuesday.
According to neighbors, they often saw the children outside the complex. Hall also wrote frequently on social media about the joys as well as the struggles of motherhood. The children were even featured on a podcast she created called BMorE Charming.
Court documents from a 2018 arson trial show that Hall faced more difficult challenges. These documents detail how Hall set up a shrine of family photographs in her mother's apartment and attempted to set it on fire before briefly disappearing from the children.
Harrison stated that officers were summoned to the Coventry Road home by a resident who noticed a foul odor. The children's bodies were found in two rooms in their early stages of decay by officers. Harrison stated that the mother was quickly sought out by investigators and confessed to the murder of the children during Harrison's interview on Wednesday morning.
Harrison stated that Harrison sympathizes with the family members. It is difficult to investigate the murder of a child or two.
Harrison stated that detectives are working closely with the medical examiners to determine the cause and manner of death. Harrison said that investigators are also working with Child Protective Services in the course of the investigation.
At Wednesday's news conference, Mayor Brandon Scott stated that this is a terrible and heartbreaking tragedy. Davin and DaNeira, aged 6 and 8 respectively, should start school just like all the other children in the city.
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Scott promised to review the case in order to uncover any agency lapses that could have contributed to the deaths of the children.
He said that the tragic deaths of these two young men will be closely and thoroughly examined. We must close the gap that allows tragedies such as this to happen.
Harrison stated that Hall was the only child found in the house and is believed not to have other children. The police investigation also includes the determination of whether Child Protective Services provided any supervision in the wake of Hall's 2018 criminal case. She was accused of setting fire to her mother's apartment.
Harrison stated that this is all part of the investigation.
City Child Protective Services didn't respond to Wednesday's request for comment. A spokesperson for Maryland Department of Human Services, Child Protective Services included, stated that confidentiality laws prevented her from confirming agency involvement in the case.
Baltimore Police issued an alert in October 2018 following the disappearance of Hall and her children. Hall's parents believed that the mother and children might be at risk. They were found safe and sound in Baltimore County.
According to court records, Hall's father and mother reported that Hall set fire and tore apart family photos and mementos after placing them on a couch in her mother's home. According to the charging documents, she also set fire to other photos in a frying-pan.
According to records, they were staying for one night with Halls parents.
Police stated that the smoke detectors were removed from the house and that the hard-wired ones had had their wiring cut and backup batteries removed.
Police wrote in court papers that a frying pan found in the second-floor bedroom contained family photos that were believed to have been set on fire. A makeshift shrine or altar was constructed from photos taken from the walls of the home on the first floor. Family photographs were carefully displayed and arranged on the sofa's seating area.
Baltimore police discovered that she and her children had been admitted to Northwest Hospital in Baltimore County while they were searching for her.
Investigators into child abuse were called and DaNeira was asked about the fire at Grandmas' house.
According to the charging documents, Mommy was doing it, DaNeira replied.
Hall was charged with arson and endangering her children's lives. She pleaded guilty to the charges and received a five year sentence, with one year suspended. Hall was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution for the destruction to her home.
Hall applied for custody of the children later in the year and was granted custody after the father failed to respond to court proceedings. The court records do not indicate what Maryland Child Protective Services might have done to protect the children.
She wrote that I was solely responsible for the physical custody of both my children. The father was absent up until my previous imprisonment. He tried to keep them away.
The father of the children could not be reached on Wednesday.
Hall shared her struggle with depression on Facebook in April and how it led to a new business opportunity that sold hemp-infused products.
I fell back into depression after the start of the 2020 pandemic. Hall wrote that I couldn't work because my family needed me home. Each month, I supervised probation office visits. Myofacial pain syndrome is something I have. My anxiety is triggered by PTSD, which taps me on my shoulder.
She also posted about her kids.
They are my two best friends. They are perfect for me. She wrote in April, "A bond that cannot be broken,"
Other posts have also mentioned challenges.
Although being a mom is not easy, you will agree that it was worthwhile. She wrote that she would always love you to the moon on June 16th.
Neighbors were shocked to hear about the deaths of the children.
Wardell White (64), said Wednesday that he used to watch two children play on the lawn in front of the Coventry Manor Building, which was covered with crime scene tape the night prior. He suspects those two children, who he had not seen outside this summer, may have been the ones who were found dead Tuesday.
White said that she has lived in the same townhome as the apartment complex for 17 year and walks her dog almost every day. They were my friends. They disappeared suddenly from my vision.
White stated that he often let Winston play with the children and gave them pieces of candy or pocket money.
A neighbor who was not able to identify themselves out of concern for their safety said that the family's car had been towed Tuesday. The neighbor claimed that they used to visit the mother and chat in passing.
They saw her dispose of several items that looked like children's clothing in the complex's dumpster. They assumed that the mother was getting rid old clothes to make room for newer items.
They began to smell something odd, which they attributed to either a dead animal, or trash in the dumpster. On Tuesday, however, police arrived in large numbers and heard about the neighbors.
Dennis Suter, another neighbor, stated that he was shocked to learn about the crime. However, he did not know anyone involved and had just moved into his apartment in April. He said that his girlfriend had told him about the police vehicles and crime scene tape when she returned home from work at 4 p.m.
Suter stated, "It just breaks my heart to hear of a child being murdered." They were left alone in that house for so long.
Just weeks ago, two children Joshlyn Johnson (7 years old) and Larry ONeil III (5 years old) were discovered dead in their aunt's car in Baltimore City.
Baltimore County Police charged Nicole Michelle Johnson (33), with neglect, failure to report the death, disposing of bodies, and child abuse that led to the deaths of the children. Police are still investigating the circumstances and causes of their deaths.
Scott Shellenberger, Baltimore County States Attorney, stated this week that there had been no progress in the case.
According to court documents, Johnson claimed that she had taken care of the children since 2019, when their mother moved from Ohio and Maryland. Johnson is currently being held at Baltimore County Detention Center, Towson.
McKenna Oxenden, Baltimore Sun reporter, contributed to this article.
