Baltimore parents plead guilty in 5-year-old’s starvation death; sentencing set for June 10

Guilty pleas entered in 2024 East Baltimore child death case

Two Baltimore parents have pleaded guilty to child abuse charges stemming from the 2024 death of their 5-year-old daughter, who authorities said was severely malnourished when she was found unresponsive in a home in East Baltimore.

Court officials said the parents, Bernice Byrd and Gerald Byrd, are scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2026. The case centers on the death of their daughter, Zona Byrd, after an emergency call brought police and paramedics to the family’s residence on Aiken Street.

What investigators say they found inside the home

Police were called after a relative reported that the child was not moving and felt cold. Officers and medics pronounced the girl dead at the scene. Investigators documented signs of extreme malnutrition and described her as emaciated.

Charging documents and police accounts stated that the parents could not identify when they last saw Zona alive, and could not recall when she was last fed or what she last ate. Officials later reported that Zona weighed 17.5 pounds at the time of her death.

During the response, authorities also located the couple’s 6-year-old son and found him to be severely malnourished. Officials said he required hospital care and later recovered.

• Incident location: Aiken Street in East Baltimore
• Victim: 5-year-old Zona Byrd
• Case timeline: child found unresponsive in 2024; guilty pleas entered Feb. 26, 2026; sentencing set for June 10, 2026

Other children removed; details cited in charging documents

Authorities removed three other children from the home following the death, and officials said the children were placed with relatives.

Investigators also described conditions suggesting children lacked accessible food. In statements attributed to charging documents, Gerald Byrd told police that the children had been going through trash to find food.

The guilty pleas conclude the trial phase of the case and move it to sentencing, where the court will weigh the admitted conduct, the harm to surviving children, and statutory penalties.

Potential penalties and what comes next

Court officials said the parents could face a maximum sentence of 70 years in prison. The sentencing hearing on June 10 is expected to address incarceration terms and any additional court-ordered conditions.

The Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office has characterized the surviving children as victims as well, and the case remains a focal point for local agencies tasked with child protection and family safety interventions.