Mother-in-law charged after baby dies in violent attack

Tragedy strikes as infant dies after violent assault

At 12:17 a.m. on Chicago’s South Side, six-week-old Lily Carter stopped crying forever. What began as a mother’s desperate attempt to soothe her feverish newborn ended in unimaginable tragedy when Margaret Hayes, the baby’s grandmother, violently struck Emily Carter, causing Lily to fall from her arms and suffer fatal injuries.

The night Lily fell silent

Emily had spent nearly an hour pacing the cramped living room of her mother-in-law’s apartment, trying to calm Lily, who had developed a mild fever earlier that evening. Concerned about her daughter’s condition, Emily suggested taking her to urgent care, but Margaret dismissed her worries as “dramatic” and a waste of money.

“Make her stop,” Margaret demanded as Lily’s cries filled the small apartment. Emily, exhausted but determined, continued rocking her daughter, unaware that the situation would soon escalate into violence.

A sudden act of violence

Margaret stormed out of her bedroom, her expression filled with irritation. “I said shut her up,” she snapped. When Emily insisted that Lily was sick and needed medical attention, Margaret responded with a cold laugh. “What she needs is a mother who knows what she’s doing.”

Before Emily could react, Margaret struck her across the face. The force of the blow knocked Emily off balance, and despite her desperate attempt to hold on, Lily slipped from her arms and fell onto the hardwood floor. The baby’s crying stopped instantly.

Emily dropped to her knees, gathering Lily’s motionless body into her arms. “Lily? Lily!” she cried, searching desperately for any sign of life. When there was no response, she pleaded with Margaret to call 911. Instead, Margaret delivered a chilling ultimatum: “Shut her up, or get out of the house.”....