An Ohio woman admitted to murder on Tuesday — a year after her 3-year-old son was found dead outside of a store.
Timmeka Eggleton, 31, was arrested days after witnesses discovered Curtis Wither lifeless in a stroller outside of a Family Dollar in Cleveland. Wither was found to have died from homicidal blunt force trauma, and Eggleton was arrested after she lied about the circumstances surrounding his death, according to WKYC.
While a judge previously found Eggelton temporarily unfit to stand trial, in November the courts ruled her mental state was restored.
Set to stand trial next week, Eggleton pleaded guilty to murder, felonious assault, and endangering children. An aggravated murder charge was dropped as part of a plea deal
Reports indicated that Wither had been in foster care since he was seven days old. However, in June 2022, he was placed back with Eggelton. A judge made the arrangement permanent in March 2023 — months before Wither’s beating death.
While Wither’s foster parents reportedly expressed concerns about the toddler’s safety, a judge ordered Eggleton to complete parenting classes and mental health treatment.
In an order handed down three months before Wither’s death, Cuyahoga County Juvenile Judge Alison Floyd wrote, “The continued supervision is not necessary and not in the child’s best interest.”
Sentencing is scheduled for July 22.
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[Featured image: Curtis Wither/WJW video screengrab; Timmeka Eggleton/Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office]
