Nonverbal 3-year-old girl died after her mother left her in the care of a longtime “friend” who got frustrated the toddler puked on herself and hit her head against the bathtub; friend pleads guilty
Michigan – In a horrific incident in Michigan that exposed a shocking betrayal of trust, a 31-year-old woman, identified as I. Harris, pleaded guilty to killing her friend’s nonverbal 3-year-old daughter after the toddler puked on herself while in her care. The woman now faces life behind bars for the brutal death.
Harris, 31, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder this week in connection with the 2024 death of 3-year-old Harmoni H., a nonverbal autistic child who was left in Harris’s care by her mother. Harris, a longtime friend of Harmoni’s mom, admitted to violently assaulting the child during what was supposed to be a routine night of babysitting. The plea deal led to the dismissal of her initial charges of felony murder and first-degree child abuse. Harris is now facing a possible life sentence in a Michigan state prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 29.
The tragic series of events began on March 17, 2024, when Harmoni’s mother left her in the care of Harris, someone she once trusted “wholeheartedly.” According to prosecutors, at some point that evening, Harris grew frustrated when Harmoni vomited on herself. Instead of caring for the toddler, Harris responded with unimaginable cruelty. “Ms. Harris allegedly admitted to police she poured scalding water on top of the 3-year-old and slammed her head against the side of the bathtub,” said Assistant Prosecutor J. Douglas.
The hot water was reportedly poured over Harmoni’s head and face, causing additional trauma beyond the head injury. Harris allegedly locked the toddler in a room with her own 1-year-old child for nearly three hours while she smoked marijuana. When she returned and found Harmoni had vomited, she flew into a rage.
According to Harmoni’s mother, Harris later confessed that she slammed the child’s head into the bathtub, delivering the fatal blow. “She was having a hard time. My baby is autistic, nonverbal. I think she got frustrated with her, plus her own daughter, and she slammed my baby’s head against the tub,” the heartbroken mother told local media sources. When Harmoni’s mother called to check in during the night, Harris reportedly told her that the child had fallen down the stairs and bumped her head, but was otherwise fine. The next morning, when the mother arrived to pick up her daughter, she found Harmoni unresponsive in bed. “She was already dead from the moment that I got there,” the mother said. “She was gone.”
Harmoni was privately transported to a nearby hospital, but it was too late. She was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, and the cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma. Police arrested Harris on March 20, 2025, following an investigation. Captain L. Carter, who leads the department’s Special Victims Unit, described the case as one of the most disturbing she had encountered. “Nothing like this should ever happen to a child,” Carter said. “The child was deceased when I arrived. Very disturbing details.”
Harmoni’s death has left her family devastated, not just by the loss, but by who was responsible. Her mother told reporters she never imagined Harris — someone she’d known for years — would be capable of such violence. “I trusted her with everything,” she said. Harris’s plea to second-degree murder spares her a trial but ensures a lengthy prison term. Prosecutors have not yet revealed whether they will push for life without parole or another severe penalty. As the community braces for the upcoming sentencing, Harmoni’s story remains a painful reminder of how quickly trust can be betrayed and how vulnerable children, especially those who cannot speak for themselves, rely on adults for protection they sometimes never receive.
