How 8-Month-Old Reese Annette Bowman Was Tragically Murdered

For refusing to sleep, Leah Walden slapped, kicked, and then suffocated the little baby to death.

By Rare StoriesPublished about a year ago • Updated about a year ago • 3 min read

Leah Walden suffocated 8-month-old Reese Annette Bowman, born on September 4, 2016, to death on May 23, 2017.

The Story

Sawyer and Reese were brought to the Rocket Tiers Learning Center in Baltimore, Maryland, by their parents, Justin and Amy Bowman, who both worked. Reese Bowman's murder was captured on camera.

When Leah Walden returned to Rocket Tiers Learning Center from lunch, she saw that Reese Bowman refused to nap.

Walden told a co-worker; "Girl, I'm frustrated ... I'm sick of this little bitch. I hate this little bitch. ... She makes me want to punch her in the face."

Rocket Tiers Learning Center has been permanently closed

Walden slapped Reese in the crib, then pinned the infant down with one arm as Reese kicked out her legs in desperation. Walden subsequently put a number of blankets over the child's face and smothered her to death.

Head of Criminal Investigations in Baltimore, Stanley Bradford, stated: "Watching that video is disturbing. Reese Bowman, in my opinion, was tortured."

Aftermath

In heartbreaking scenes, Reese's father Justin Bowman wept as he told the court: 'I will never see my girl take her first steps, hold her, kiss her, comfort her when she's scared, hear her say "I love you". I am devastated.'

Walden attempted to justify her behavior by claiming that she had snapped and that she had not received adequate training or assistance for her position.

The court was informed that upon returning from lunch, Walden became frustrated that Reese would not fall asleep. She then struck her and held her down before covering her face with blankets and choking her.

Walden initially stated that she had fed the infant and placed her in her crib for a nap, only to return 45 minutes later to find the girl unresponsive.

Nevertheless, her explanation fell apart as the center's CCTV exposed the reality.

Walden was observed covering the infant with excessive blankets for extended periods. She was also captured on camera covering the child's face with a pillow, forcibly grabbing the infant, and striking her. Surveillance footage produced in court revealed the infant struggling violently as the enraged daycare worker attempted to suffocate her with a blanket.

The judge wept as she viewed the CCTV footage of the baby's death just after the young childcare worker entered the courtroom.

Composing herself, she said: 'I'm just reflecting on everything I heard. There are tears everywhere in this courtroom.'

Walden acknowledged that the crime was premeditated, but stated; 'There was not a time in my heart that I wanted this to happen.'

Then she addressed the Bowmans: 'I'm so sorry. With all my heart, I'm sorry.'

In a statement, Stanley Bradford, chief of Baltimore's homicide unit, described the murder as "just evil."

After the murder, he said, the family was compelled to sell their home, quit their jobs, and flee Baltimore. That has rendered them "devastated"

The parents of Reese wrote her obituary, which was posted shortly after her death, as follows: "Dearest baby, please know that our greatest blessing was having you."

Rocket Tiers Learning Center was shutdown after the tragic occurrence.

Walden, who was 24, initially claimed that Bowman's death was an accident, but pled guilty to first-degree murder on November 27, 2018, and was sentenced to 70 years in jail.

Children are beautiful creatures that should be taken care of and not maltreated.