A Texas woman has pleaded guilty to the murder of her son, 2-year-old Elijah Lebario, according to reports.
In February 2020, police were alerted to the boy’s death after he was taken to Covenant Levelland with severe injuries.
When he arrived, his body was covered in bruises and his internal body temperature was 81 degrees. Most healthy children have a body temperature measuring between 97.7 degrees and 99.5 degrees, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Due to the severity of his condition, he was taken to UMC in Lubbock. However, when he arrived, medical staff pronounced him dead.
His injuries prompted an investigation into his mother, Samantha Dawn Mathis, and her boyfriend, Robert Garza, Jr. Authorities soon discovered the two adults had assaulted Elijah prior to his death.
Mathis was arrested by the Levelland Police Department and was charged with capital murder and injury to a child. A murder warrant was issued for Garza; he was later arrested and also charged with injury to a child and violation of a bond or protective order.
Elijah’s brother, just two years older than him at the time, was also evaluated. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services interviewed the 4-year-old and discovered bruising on his body as well. He was treated at a Lubbock hospital and released into the care of family members.
Mathis pleaded guilty to both murder and injury to a child in a Levelland courtroom on Thursday morning. She was sentenced to life in prison for the murder charge and an additional ten years for the injury to a child charge.
The sentences are stacked, meaning she would serve her life sentence before her 10-year sentence would begin.
The Hockley County District Attorney’s Office released the following statement:
The office of Angela L. Overman, District Attorney for the 286th Judicial District of Texas, announces the successful resolution of two significant cases involving Samantha Dawn Mathis, a defendant charged with capital murder and injury to a child in Hockley County.
After careful legal proceedings, the defendant voluntarily pleaded guilty to the Murder of a Child Under 10 years of age, resulting in a sentence of Life in Prison and a $10,000 fine, as handed down by The Honorable J. Pat Phelan, Judge of the 286th Judicial District Court of Hockley County, Texas. Additionally, Mathis entered a voluntary plea of guilty to the offense of Injury to a Child, which led to a sentence of 10 years in Prison, to be served consecutively after completion of her Life Sentence in the murder case. The sentencing underscores the gravity of these crimes and sends a clear message that such actions will not be tolerated.
The successful resolutions in these cases serve as a testament to the relentless pursuit of justice by our legal team. We extend our gratitude to the community for their unwavering support throughout these proceedings, and we shall continue to fulfill our duty in safeguarding the interests of our fellow citizens. The co-defendant’s Capital Murder Trial is slated for February 18, 2024. As an office dedicated to upholding justice in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, the District Attorney’s Office remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring a fair and just legal system for all citizens.
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