Texas mother sentenced to life for killing infant

Sarah Michelle Gilley-Wroe will spend the rest of her life in a Texas prison without the chance of parole. The 24-year-old Midland resident received the sentence after a jury found her guilty of capital murder. The victim was Gilley-Wroe's daughter, who was five weeks old when she died.

The infant died on May 11, 2022, at Midland Memorial Hospital. Medical evidence determined the cause of death was severe head trauma. Doctors identified two fractures in the back of the skull. Investigators stated the injuries matched the pattern of blunt force trauma.

Detectives analyzed Gilley-Wroe's phone records and found searches that pointed to guilt. She also made statements to authorities while in custody. During her detention, she told a cellmate she had thrown the baby against the wall. She added that she struck the child until the crying stopped.

Gilley-Wroe was the only person alone with the infant during the timeframe when the injuries likely occurred. She offered alternative explanations for the trauma. She suggested her aunt, the baby's father, or a family dog could have caused the damage. Medical experts disputed these claims. They calculated the force needed to create the skull fractures. They compared that force to the impact of a person falling from a two-story building.