A Mississippi woman who was hired to babysit two children will now spend the rest of her life behind bars after one of the children was found dead and the other severely abused.

Iuka resident Makallie Elizabeth Durham, 25, was sentenced Friday by Circuit Court Judge Chip Mills to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the September 2022 murder of a 2-year-old boy. She also received an additional 40 years for child abuse charges stemming from injuries inflicted on the boy’s 11-month-old sister.

The case unfolded on Sept. 13, 2022, when deputies from the Alcorn County Sheriff’s Office and emergency responders were called to a Corinth residence on County Road 380. Authorities discovered the unresponsive 2-year-old boy with extensive bruising and injuries, along with his infant sister, who also showed signs of physical abuse.

Both children were rushed to Magnolia Regional Hospital before being transferred to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The boy succumbed to his injuries two days later, prompting Durham’s arrest and subsequent indictment on capital murder and child abuse charges.

The grand jury indictment detailed that Durham had repeatedly struck both children in the face and head over a four-day period. While the toddler’s injuries proved fatal, his sister survived but endured significant harm.

Durham, who had been entrusted to care for the siblings, will remain in the Alcorn County Jail until her transfer to the Mississippi Department of Corrections to serve her life sentence.