A Tarrant County jury has sentenced a Mansfield woman to two life terms after finding her guilty in the 2019 killing of her 9-year-old niece.
Mercia Sneed, 47, was convicted of capital murder and injury to a child causing serious bodily injury in the death of Melodi Sneed, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office.
The case stemmed from a July 27, 2019, family gathering at a newly purchased home on Eagle Drive in Mansfield.
Melodi Found Unresponsive at Mansfield Home
Prosecutors said family members had gathered at the home to help unpack and celebrate the move. Later that night, most of the adults went to bed while Melodi fell asleep on a couch in the home’s game room.
According to prosecutors, Sneed directed her 13-year-old son to leave the room before pressing a blue-and-white pillow over Melodi’s face.
Prosecutors said Sneed held the pillow over the girl’s face for several minutes, despite Melodi’s attempts to scream and fight back.
“She fought. She screamed. She tried to stay alive,” Assistant District Attorney Victoria Lydahl told jurors. “But she was only nine.”
After Melodi stopped moving, prosecutors said Sneed removed the pillow, wiped the girl’s face, and took the pillow from the house.
Hours later, Melodi was found unresponsive, and police were called. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Sneed’s Son Told Police What He Saw
Sneed’s 13-year-old son later told investigators that he had witnessed his mother suffocating Melodi.
According to prosecutors, Sneed also admitted to police that she had smothered the child.
The prosecution’s case relied in part on the son’s account of what happened inside the game room.
No motive for the killing was provided in the information released by prosecutors.
Jury Returns Guilty Verdicts
Jurors found Sneed guilty of capital murder and injury to a child causing serious bodily injury before sentencing her to two life terms.
One of the life sentences is without the possibility of parole.
During closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Charlie Boulware emphasized the length of time Melodi’s family had waited for the case to reach a conclusion.
“Today is about Melodi,” Boulware said. “Melodi’s family has waited seven years, seven long years.”
Boulware also urged jurors to reach a verdict for Melodi and her family.
“It’s extremely cruel and criminal, and there’s only one person to blame,” Boulware said.
Tarrant County Assistant District Attorneys Boulware and Lydahl prosecuted the case. The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office also credited the Mansfield Police Department and its investigators for their work on the case.
Provided by Dallas Express
