A woman has been sentenced to life in prison by a Shawnee County court after the tragic death of a child in October of last year.
Katie Garceran, the spokesperson for the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office, announced in a press release that Mariann Belair, aged 24, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole until she has served 25 years.
This sentence comes as a result of her murder conviction. The woman has been sentenced to six months in prison for the serious offense of endangering a child.
The jury trial for Belair commenced on May 28, 2024, and concluded after four days. The jury deliberated for over 90 minutes before reaching their decision.
Belair has been convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated endangering of a child.
An incident occurred on Oct. 14, 2023, when a 911 call was received by the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center regarding a house in the 400 block of NE Grattan.
A four-year-old child, identified as Lawrencia Perez-Belair, was discovered by Topeka police at the scene, injured from a gunshot wound.
Unfortunately, the child’s condition ultimately resulted in a tragic outcome.
According to Garceran, the police discovered that Belair’s children were present in the living room of the house along with their mother before the shooting occurred. According to the initial police report, Belair stated that she brought a Sig Sauer semi-automatic handgun from upstairs and placed it on the couch downstairs.
During a photo session with her daughter, Belair’s son unexpectedly discharged the firearm. Belair discreetly relocated the firearm from the couch to a drawer in a different room prior to the arrival of law enforcement. During a search, officers discovered a firearm, as well as a bag of methamphetamine and related items, in a drawer.