NORFOLK — A Norfolk woman was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for her role in the death of her 9-day-old daughter.

The term issued to Z’Ibreyea Parker by Circuit Judge Jennifer Fuschetti was the maximum allowed. It also was well above what state sentencing guidelines recommended and prosecutors suggested. The guidelines recommended Parker serve no more than six months, while Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michelle Newkirk asked for three years.

Parker, now 22, initially was charged with second-degree murder but was allowed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of child abuse resulting in serious bodily harm. The baby’s father, Hilary Darnell Johnson II, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced last week to 19 years in prison.

Defense attorney Trevor Robinson told the judge Parker was a victim of domestic violence, and that Johnson caused the child’s injuries and death. Although there were times when Parker was alone with the baby, she was too frightened to seek help, he said.

The couple were arrested in May 2024, after they took their daughter to Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters. The newborn was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

In an interview with detectives, Johnson said he’d taken the baby for a jog in her stroller a couple of days before and that she fell out, hit her head, then continued to hit her head and feet as she tumbled. He said he and Parker tried to treat her on their own with witch hazel, peroxide and gauze, and didn’t take her to the hospital until they woke one morning and discovered she wasn’t breathing.

Norfolk newborn had broken bones, burned feet and numerous bruises at time of death, documents say

Hospital staff and Norfolk police officers noticed the child appeared to have burns on the bottom of her feet, healing cuts on her head and face and bruises on her back. An autopsy determined she died from blunt trauma to her head and torso, with deep partial-thickness burns on her feet as a contributing factor. The girl also had several broken ribs as well as other internal and external injuries.

Medical experts reported that the burns on her feet were consistent with hot liquid burns, and not consistent with the explanation Johnson provided.

Before the sentence was handed down, Parker apologized to the court. She told the judge she took responsibility for her role in her daughter’s death, and recognized that she had put her own fears ahead of her daughter’s safety.

Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/10/31/parker-sentencing-norfolk/