Michigan Mother Charged in Death of Malnourished 4-Year-Old Son

A Michigan woman is facing life in prison after being charged in connection with the death of her 4-year-old son, who authorities say died from extreme malnutrition and weighed only 10 pounds at the time of his death.

Jessica Marie Burke, 39, was arrested last week and charged with one count of felony first-degree child abuse in the death of her son, Noah Burke. Under Michigan law, a conviction for first-degree child abuse carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

According to reports, officers with the Bay City Police Department responded to a 911 call around 4:10 a.m. on October 18, 2024, at a residence in the 900 block of McKinley Avenue. Burke reportedly told dispatchers she had awoken to find her son unresponsive and not breathing.

Emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene and pronounced Noah dead later that day.

An autopsy concluded that Noah’s death was a homicide caused by “severe extreme calorie malnutrition and complications thereof,” which resulted in “extreme emaciation and failure to thrive,” according to local media outlet MLive.

A criminal complaint alleges that Burke “knowingly or intentionally caused serious physical harm” to her son through starvation and malnourishment.

Bay County Prosecutor Michael P. Kanuszewski confirmed that Noah had special needs and weighed approximately 10 pounds when he died — about one-quarter the weight of a healthy child his age.

Court documents further reveal that Noah was born with esophageal dysphasia, a rare condition that severely impaired his ability to swallow and left him unable to suck, root, gag, or move his mouth effectively.

“This is a tragic case,” said Prosecutor Kanuszewski. “She had her hands full. He was not an easy child to care for, but how can anyone allow that to happen? No one wins in a case like this, regardless of the outcome.”

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Burke appeared in court last week for her arraignment, where a judge set her bond at $250,000 cash or surety. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 29.