Woman pleads guilty in 2019 death of Baltimore toddler, scalded and found dead in dumpster
BALTIMORE -- The spouse of an East Baltimore mother convicted in the death of 4-year-old Malachi Lawson, who was scalded in a bath and thrown in a dumpster in 2019, pleaded guilty on Tuesday.
Shatika Lawson will be sentenced on December 6 for child abuse resulting in death.
Malachi was found dead in a dumpster 10 miles away from his mother's home on August 3, 2019. Alicia Lawson's wife, Shatika Lawson, initially told police her son was missing.
They were both charged in the child's death.
According to charging documents, Malachi Lawson suffered severe burns after a scalding hot bath. Concerned that the boy might be taken from them or that they may be charged, the women tried to treat the severe burns themselves for more than a week.
The burns were so bad, Malachi's skin was allegedly floating in the bathwater when they pulled him from the tub, according to the charging documents.
But police tested the water temperature at the Lawsons' home in the 1800 block of North Spring Street Saturday and the temperature never got above lukewarm.
Nine days after the bath, Alicia Lawson found Malachi Lawson unresponsive. That's when she wrapped her son in a blanket, took a Lyft to a dumpster, and tossed him in the dumpster inside a trash bag.
Shatika said she placed Malachi into the tub of water, but neither woman sought medical attention for Malachi during the 10 days he was allegedly injured, according to court documents. Instead seeking to hide his injuries for the sake of their own wellbeing, which resulted in his death."
Alicia Lawson, who pleaded guilty in 2021, was sentenced to Life, suspend all but 30 years, and five years of probation.
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