Chances of Facebook babysitter getting out of prison for nearly killing 2-month-old went to zero when cops found a 2nd baby who died

Background: An Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office vehicle parked outside of the Oklahoma County Detention Center (Google Maps). Inset: Holly Sheppard (Oklahoma County Detention Center).

An Oklahoma woman who once promoted herself as a babysitter on Facebook is serving double life sentences after one child in her care was seriously injured and another one died.

Holly Sheppard, 29, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of release after 25 years in connection with a child abuse case from 2023. As Law&Crime previously reported, that case made police in another part of Oklahoma take another look at the 2018 death of a 22-day-old infant. Sheppard was charged with that newborn's murder in June 2025 and eventually pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.

On Wednesday, Sheppard was handed another life sentence with the possibility of release after 35 years.

As Law&Crime previously reported, Sheppard used Facebook to advertise her babysitting services back in 2018, when the mother of a 22-day-old infant was looking for help. The newborn was taken to the hospital with "non-accidental abusive head trauma" and died a few days later. No legal action was taken at the time.

Five years later, Sheppard was still using Facebook to look for babysitting work, and in June 2023, she was hired to care for a 2-month-old baby. That child was also brought to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with internal bleeding. Sheppard was watching the baby at the time and told police several stories about how the baby was injured. She was arrested in 2024 and took a blind plea for a charge of child abuse. The baby in that case survived.

WATCH on Law&Crime on YouTube: 'Killer Babysitter' Busted After Years of Covering Up Lies: Police

Similarities between the two cases led authorities to reopen the 2018 case, which led to a first-degree murder charge against Sheppard while she was serving her other life sentence.

Sheppard is now serving two life sentences at the Oklahoma County Detention Center.

Conrad Hoyt contributed to this report.