Woman Accused of Partner’s 4-Year-Old Son’s Death to Plead Guilty in December

By Andrew Michaels - May 9, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Juveniles | Suspects | Victims |

A 44-year-old woman accused of her 4-year-old son’s death from a scalding bath is expected to plead guilty to his murder in December.

Shateka Lawson was originally scheduled to go to trial on May 9 before agreeing to the prosecution’s plea offer for first-degree child abuse resulting in death.

Her sentence is scheduled for Dec. 6.

The defendant faces a minimum of life, suspending all but 18 years, to a maximum of life, suspending all but 33 and a half years. Either sentence includes five years of supervised probation upon her release.

Tuesday’s proceeding was held before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeannie Hong, where Lawson was represented by defense attorney Roya Hanna.

Charges for the death of the child, Malachi Lawson, were filed against both Lawson and her partner, 29-year-old Alicia Lawson, who is the boy’s biological mother. The women allegedly gave Malachi a scalding bath on July 23, 2019, causing severe burns. Malachi died nine days later at their residence on the 5500 block of Haddon Avenue after the co-defendants did not seek medical attention for the child’s injuries out of fear of Child Protective Services.

Alicia accepted a guilty plea of life, suspending all but 30 years and five years of supervised probation for first-degree child abuse resulting in death in August 2021.