Inset: Tiffany Briana Moore (Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety). Background: The area in Mich. where Moore killed a 15-month-old girl in her care (Google Maps).
A 34-year-old babysitter in Michigan may spend the rest of her life behind bars for fatally beating a 15-month-old girl in her care and telling the victim's mother that the child's injuries were merely an allergic reaction.
A Kalamazoo County jury found Tiffany Briana Moore guilty on one count each of felony murder, second-degree murder, and first-degree child abuse in connection with the 2023 slaying of Jermany Coleman, authorities announced.
According to a news release from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, the investigation began Oct. 28, 2023, when Jermany's mother found the toddler unresponsive at their home in the 3300 block of Michigamme Woods. The child was rushed to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.
An autopsy determined that Jermany's manner of death was homicide and the cause of death was multiple "blunt force injuries." The child "had been in Moore's care in the hours leading up to her death," authorities said.
Jermany's mother, Dae'Janique McClenton-Howard, provided additional details about the incident when she testified at Moore's preliminary hearing in 2024.
McClenton-Howard said that when she initially returned to her apartment, Moore and her daughter were not there, MLive reported. The two arrived a short while later and Moore handed the blanket-wrapped toddler to her mother. McClenton-Howard said she knew something was wrong as soon as she stepped into the light from the porch.
"That's when I said 'What the f— did you do to my baby?'" McClenton-Howard reportedly testified.
The mother testified that Jermany's eyes were swollen and the child's body was limp. Moore reportedly tried to claim that Jermany was just experiencing an allergic reaction.
"I thought she might have drugged her or something," McClenton-Howard testified.
During a 2024 hearing, Sarah Brown, a child abuse pediatrician at Bronson Children's Hospital, described the severity of Jermany's condition.
"Her eyelids were so swollen that I could not open her eyes more than just to see her pupils," Brown told the court, local CBS affiliate WWMT reported. "The CT scan showed severe brain swelling to the point that we were very worried about the possibility of brain death."
Following a monthslong investigation, authorities issued a warrant for Moore's arrest. Moore had gone missing after Jermany was found unresponsive, and public safety officers located her the following day, WWMT reported.
Jurors returned their verdicts Wednesday, nearly three years after the toddler's death.
"Today's guilty verdicts are the result of years of dedication and perseverance by everyone involved in this case. We are grateful to the jury for carefully considering the evidence and reaching a verdict that holds Moore accountable. We also want to recognize the investigators who continued to pursue this case, as well as the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor's Office for its commitment to bringing this case forward and seeking justice," Kalamazoo Public Safety Capt. Danielle Guilds said in a statement.
"Most importantly, we recognize the tremendous loss suffered by Jermany's family and loved ones. While no verdict can erase that loss, we hope today's outcome provides some measure of accountability and closure," Guilds said.
Moore is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 30.
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