MEMPHIS, Tenn — A Mississippi babysitter pleaded guilty to capital murder and abuse after a toddler died and another baby was injured in 2022.
The District Attorney's Office in Corinth said Makallie Elizabeth Durham pleaded guilty Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, to capital murder and four counts of felonious child abuse. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole for murder and an additional 40 years for child abuse.
The Alcorn County Sheriff’s Office said it responded to a call about a small child who was unresponsive about 9:10 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, at a home on CR 380 in Corinth. They found a 2-year-old boy unresponsive with “multiple bruises and marks.” Deputies said they also found an 11-month-old girl at the home with several injuries.
Both children were taken to Magnolia Regional Hospital, and then transferred to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, where the boy died on Sept. 15. The baby girl is stable, according to investigators.
Deputies said Durham, of Iuka, was caring for the two children when they were found. Investigators said Durham had a misdemeanor warrant out of Corinth and she was taken into custody as the investigation continued.
