In 2005, China Arnold, a woman from Ohio, put her 28-day-old baby in a microwave oven for two minutes.
Afterward, she quickly took the baby to the hospital with her boyfriend to get medical help.
This isn't the first time a baby has been microwaved to death, but the unusual details in this case make it stand out among other similar tragedies involving microwaves.
Why China Arnold microwaved her baby
It would help to first know the kind of mother China Arnold was and the type of man she married.
China Arnold was addicted to alcohol and had been in trouble with the law before for forging documents and kidnapping.
Her boyfriend, Terrell Talley, was a drug dealer and had a reputation for being jealous and violent when drunk.
Their troubled lifestyles played a part in the tragic death of Paris Talley.
According to court records, Arnold and Talley were drinking in the park the night the baby was put in the microwave.
In their drunken state, they argued about who was Paris Talley's father.
It seems Talley found out Arnold was cheating.
So he took her to the park, got her drunk, and questioned her, trying to get the truth.
The conversation became an argument that escalated on the way home and turned into a serious fight when they got home.
After the fight, Talley went to sell drugs while China Arnold microwaved the baby before he returned.
DNA tests later confirmed that Talley was indeed the baby's biological father.
Baby Paris Talley's Death
On August 30, 2005, around 7:15 a.m., China Arnold and her boyfriend Terrell Talley hurriedly arrived at the hospital with their daughter, Paris Talley.
Sadly, the baby had already passed away before they got to the hospital.
Surprisingly, Arnold and Talley didn't know he had died, even though they knew Baby Paris had been put in the microwave.
They desperately hoped that doctors could somehow bring Paris Talley back to life, even though her body temperature was very low at 95 degrees.
Also, she had no pulse and showed no signs of breathing or blood pressure.
Despite their efforts, doctors at the hospital couldn't revive her after 15 minutes of trying.
They pronounced her dead soon after.
Doctors were confused by the numerous burn injuries on the baby's body, so they asked Arnold what had really happened.
China Arnold told doctors her baby wasn't burned, even though she couldn't explain the strange burns that didn't look like regular scalds or liquid burns.
The details of Paris Talley's death were unclear initially, and Arnold and her boyfriend's lies to hide the crime seemed well-planned.
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| Paris Talley |
The Pretense, Lies, and Cover-Up
Doctors suspected there was more to the baby's death than they initially understood, but they didn't yet know the true cause or how severe the act had been.
During questioning, Arnold made up a false story.
She said she came home at 2:00 a.m., tried to feed Paris, and later felt the baby was warm.
So, she put her in a bassinet with a fan.
Terrell Talley said he got home between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m., slept on the couch next to Arnold, and woke up in the morning to find the baby dead.
Despite their convincing act, health professionals were not deceived by their lies, and both were eventually reported to the police.
Even at the police station, they kept saying they were innocent and almost escaped suspicion for the baby's death.
Almost Getting Away with Infanticide
During police questioning, China Arnold and Terrell Talley insisted they were innocent.
They gave different stories about how the baby died, making sure not to blame themselves.
Initially, authorities were baffled by the baby's burns, with searches of their home and interviews with neighbors yielding few clues.
They were let go a few days later due to lack of evidence.
Their release might have closed the case if they hadn't left the microwave used to harm Baby Paris Talley.
The microwave later became a key piece of evidence that later solved the mystery.
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| The microwave |
Initially, Arnold and Talley weren't suspected because the coroners hadn't seen many cases of babies being killed in microwaves.
But in early 2006, when another baby was killed in a microwave in Virginia, it refocused attention on Arnold's case.
After noticing similar patterns in several incidents, investigators searched the couple's old home on Hall Avenue thoroughly.
Though they had moved, the microwave left behind was key.
Upon examination, forensic tests confirmed that traces matching Baby Paris's DNA were found.
The burn patterns on her skin also matched the inside of the microwave.
The evidence showed that Baby Paris was placed on her back in the microwave and had died several hours before reaching the hospital.
China Arnold's Arrest and Conviction
On November 27, 2006, China Arnold was arrested for aggravated murder.
Subsequent interrogations uncovered her motive: during a drunken argument with Talley over paternity issues, the altercation escalated.
While Talley went out to sell drugs, Arnold acted impulsively and put the baby in the microwave.
Arnold explained to authorities that in a state of drunkenness and rage, she microwaved her baby, which appears to be the most plausible explanation for her actions.
Court records also showed that there were no reports of her having mental health issues.
While in jail awaiting trial, she had a sexual relationship with her cellmate.
The cellmate testified that Arnold confessed to her, and this testimony was also used against Arnold in court.
Arnold, a chronic alcoholic who had a criminal record, and Talley, a drug dealer with a violent history, lived reckless lives that sadly resulted in Paris Talley's death.
Since May 2011, China Arnold has been serving a life sentence with no chance of parole.
Her trials were challenging, beginning with mistrials, and prosecutors sought the death penalty.
The death penalty was ruled out, and after several appeals, her life sentence was ultimately confirmed.
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