In a devastating case in Michigan, I. Harris, a 31-year-old woman, has been sentenced to 28 to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the brutal death of her 3-year-old friend’s daughter, Harmoni H., a nonverbal autistic child.
Harris was trusted to babysit Harmoni but instead subjected her to horrific abuse, ultimately taking her life in a fit of frustration.
The Tragic Events of March 17, 2024
The tragedy began on March 17, 2024, when Harmoni’s mother left her in the care of Harris, a longtime family friend. The night, which was supposed to be a routine babysitting arrangement, turned into a nightmare.
According to prosecutors, at some point during the evening, Harmoni vomited on herself, a typical incident for a child her age, but Harris reportedly became frustrated and lost control.
Instead of providing the care and compassion that a child in Harmoni’s situation needed, Harris reacted with unspeakable cruelty. Assistant Prosecutor J. Douglas stated that Harris admitted to pouring scalding water over Harmoni’s head and face and slamming her head against the side of a bathtub.
This brutal act of violence was compounded by Harris allegedly locking Harmoni in a room with her own 1-year-old child for nearly three hours while she smoked marijuana.
The Fatal Blow and Deception
Harris’s anger escalated when she found that Harmoni had vomited again. In a rage, she reportedly slammed Harmoni’s head into the bathtub, delivering the fatal blow that would take the toddler’s life.
The abuse was not immediately reported to Harmoni’s mother, who called to check on her daughter that evening. Harris falsely claimed that the child had fallen down the stairs, presenting the incident as an accident, and assured the mother that Harmoni was fine.
However, when Harmoni’s mother arrived to pick up her daughter the next morning, she found Harmoni unresponsive in bed. She quickly realized that her child had already passed. “She was already dead from the moment that I got there,” the devastated mother said.
Harmoni was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.
Investigation and Arrest
Following the investigation, Harris was arrested on March 20, 2025, and charged with second-degree murder and child abuse. Captain L. Carter, who leads the Special Victims Unit, described the case as one of the most disturbing she had ever encountered. “Nothing like this should ever happen to a child,” Carter said, noting the extremely disturbing nature of the details surrounding Harmoni’s death.
Harris’s Guilty Plea and Sentence
Harris pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, which led to the dismissal of the more serious charges of felony murder and first-degree child abuse. The guilty plea spared her a trial but ensured that she would spend a long time in prison. She was sentenced to 28 to 50 years in prison for her actions.
Heartbroken Family
The impact of Harmoni’s death has left her family devastated, particularly her mother, who trusted Harris with her child. She described the betrayal she felt, saying, “I trusted her with everything.” The fact that Harris, someone the family had known for years, was capable of such violence has been almost too much for them to process.