Mother intentionally ‘cracked’ infant daughter’s back before she died, police say

PHOENIX (KTVK/KPHO/Gray News) - A Phoenix mother is facing murder and child abuse charges after she allegedly intentionally performed a “back-cracking adjustment” on her infant daughter.

Court documents obtained by AZ Family reveal 26-year-old Wanda Jean Johnson was arrested Monday in relation to the death of her 3-month-old daughter. She was booked on one count of first-degree murder and one count of child abuse.

Police say officers responded March 11 to a report of possible child abuse at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. They learned Johnson woke up to her daughter seizing in the bed beside her earlier that morning before arriving at the hospital.

Johnson reportedly asked her brother to search symptoms online and wrapped the infant in a blanket “believing her child was cold and went back to sleep.” Police say Johnson said the “seizure stopped,” and she did not call an ambulance.

The child had another seizure, which Johnson’s roommate recorded on her phone. Johnson then took her daughter to Banner Estrella Hospital in Phoenix.

While at Banner, documents say, the child was determined to be in “critical condition” and was flown to Phoenix Children’s.

Doctors and medical staff found the infant had “a brain bleed and swelling of the brain,” as well as broken ribs and cuts to her liver, among other injuries. She died the morning of March 13, documents stated.

During an initial interview with officers, Johnson denied causing the injuries. Later, during a follow-up interview, Johnson admitted that the day before the seizures began, she had performed a “back-cracking adjustment” on her daughter.

Court papers detailed that on Monday, Johnson reportedly spoke to police again and demonstrated, on a doll, how she “cracked” her child’s back. During that interview, police say she admitted she didn’t have any “chiropractic training” and was “probably reckless” in cracking her back.

Arresting documents say investigators asked if she was responsible for the injuries to her daughter, and she responded that was a “possibility” but that she didn’t do anything else to her and “did not mean to hurt her.”

Johnson is being held at a Maricopa County jail on a $1 million cash-only bond.

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