Woman planned to kill her 3-year-old stepdaughter for days before smothering her to death with blanket
A Utah woman has been charged after she allegedly confessed to smothering her three-year-old stepdaughter to death.
Arianna Rose Stout was smothered to death by 24-year-old McKenley Jordan Yadon in March 2019, resulting in charges of first-degree aggravated murder and second-degree child abuse, People reports.
On March 14, Vernal City police officers responded to a medical assist call of a choking child at a Vernal home where they found the child was “unresponsive, not breathing, and cold to the touch” and had “dark purple and black bruising in front, on top, inside and around her left ear,” per a probable cause affidavit obtained by the outlet.
Rescuers rushed young Arianna to Ashley Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead an hour later despite the doctors' best efforts.
On May 23, a medical examiner confirmed the girl had died of asphyxia due to smothering. Speaking to People, assistant chief of police Keith Campbell said it was "clearly a tragic situation."
Authorities arrested Yadon after she allegedly admitted she had been planning the girl's death for days before she ultimately smothered her with a blanket in her bed.
“McKenley stated she had been planning and thinking about doing this act for two or three days prior to March 14, 2019,” the affidavit read.
During an interrogation with detectives, the 24-year-old reportedly explained in detail how she smothered the child and her "body movements and struggle during this event as she maintained consistent force over [the girl’s] airway,” the document states.
She said she “maintained this force” for four to five minutes until the child was dead. After waiting for another 10 to 15 minutes, she called a friend “who she provided an inaccurate account of events, thus resulting in the initial 911 call,” the affidavit continues.
Arianna's grandmother Christina Cook remembered how she spent every other weekend with her granddaughter.
“She was just the most beautiful little redhead angel that was born,” she told Fox 13. “This is just something I wouldn’t wish on anybody, not even my worst enemy. It’s just unbearable. It really is. It’s unbearable.”
Yadon is currently being held in Uintah County Jail without bail. She is scheduled to attend the next hearing on June 3.