In Shawnee County, a woman was found guilty of killing a 4-year-old child in the first degree.
The Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office says that MaryAnn Belair, 24, was found guilty on two counts by a Shawnee County District Court on May 31, after a four-day jury hearing. She was found guilty of murder in the first degree.
Police in Shawnee County said that on October 14, 2023, someone called 911 and asked for help in the 400 block of NE Grattan. The Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center got the call. When police and other first responders got there, they saw that a child had been shot. The child was eventually identified as 4 years old. He was pronounced dead soon after.
The Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office said that after more research, police found that Belair’s children were in the living room with him before the killing. Police were told that Belair had taken a Sig Sauer P226 Legion 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from upstairs and put it on the couch downstairs during this time.
His mother was taking a picture with her daughter when his son grabbed the gun and shot it. The gun was then moved from the couch to a drawer in a center-dresser in a room next door before the police came. During a later search of the house, police found the gun in the drawer, along with a bag of methamphetamine and other drugs.
The Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office said that Belair has not yet been sentenced.