Michigan – In a deeply disturbing case in Michigan that has drawn national attention, a 27-year-old mother, identified as I. Whitehead, is now facing criminal charges tied to the deaths of two of her children — a case that prosecutors say grew darker as investigators dug deeper.
Whitehead was already accused of suffocating her 2-year-old daughter in September 2025. But authorities have now expanded the case, formally charging her in the death of her 2-month-old son, who died in 2021 in what was once believed to be a natural medical tragedy. On Tuesday, prosecutors confirmed Whitehead has been charged with open murder and first-degree child abuse in the boy’s death, adding to the existing open murder and child abuse counts she already faces for her daughter’s killing.
For years, the boy’s death was officially attributed to parainfluenza viral-type pneumonia, and it was treated as a heartbreaking but natural loss. That changed after the girl was found dead in 2025, prompting investigators to reopen old records and reassess the earlier case. Authorities now say they no longer believe either child ever suffered from parainfluenza, and the renewed investigation led prosecutors to pursue charges related to the boy’s death nearly five years later. Officials announced the new charges publicly during a news conference, describing the case as deeply unusual and emotionally difficult even for seasoned investigators.
The investigation began on Sept. 3, 2025, when police responded to Whitehead’s home. The girl was found unresponsive and not breathing. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers noted that Whitehead was the only adult present at the time — a detail that immediately placed scrutiny on her account of what happened. At first, Whitehead allegedly claimed her daughter died from a rare and deadly virus. But that explanation started to collapse as detectives gathered evidence and pressed for answers. Court documents describe a police interview in which Whitehead allegedly admitted she suffocated her daughter using a bag — repeating the confession multiple times.
Investigators say she explained the motive in blunt terms: she wanted the stress of having children to stop. She allegedly told police she couldn’t take it anymore and just wanted it to end, making clear that she intended for her daughter to die. When questioned about whether she had repeatedly taken the girl to the hospital to make her appear sick — potentially laying groundwork for a later death to look natural — a detective asked directly if that was the plan. “I wanted to kill her,” Whitehead allegedly responded.
And when asked when she decided, she reportedly answered: “Right after she was born.” Investigators say Whitehead later signed a written statement on Nov. 25 that read: “I Killed them,” referring to both her children. That admission, combined with the reopened review of the boy’s death, led prosecutors to file the new murder and child abuse charges connected to the infant’s passing. Authorities also pointed to digital and video evidence they say supports the investigation.
Less than a week after the girl’s death, investigators reportedly found Whitehead searched online for: “how hard is it to prove if cause of death is suffocation by bag in toddler.” In another deeply unsettling piece of evidence, police recovered a video allegedly filmed less than a month before the girl died. It reportedly shows one of Whitehead’s older children telling her, “you never even wanted me, you only want me to die. I know you want me to die,” before adding, “just kill me already.”
The girl’s autopsy initially did not produce a definitive cause of death, but the medical examiner noted that asphyxia could not be excluded. Officials now say the examiner plans to update the manner of death to homicide based on the new information and confession evidence. Whitehead remains held in the county jail without bond.
Her arraignment on the new charges related to the boy’s death is scheduled for Jan. 14. A preliminary exam for the charges stemming from the girl’s death is set for Feb. 9. Prosecutors also signaled they do not intend to offer Whitehead a plea deal — indicating the case is moving forward toward trial-level proceedings as the state builds its argument around two deaths now treated not as illness, but as intentional violence.
