Overview
- Prosecutors announced Tuesday that they will treat the case as capital and seek the death penalty for Leticia McCormack while pursuing life without parole for her parents, Stanley and Adella Tom.
- All three defendants remain charged with murder, torture and child abuse and have pleaded not guilty; defense teams agreed to the prosecutor's request to split the mother's case from the grandparents'.
- Medical records and doctors reported that Arabella weighed about 48 pounds when she died in August 2022, had extensive bruising and at least 15 separate bone fractures, which prosecutors say show prolonged abuse.
- The court set the Toms’ joint trial for Feb. 23, 2027, and scheduled Leticia McCormack’s trial roughly a year later, reflecting the court's phased case management after earlier scheduling delays tied to changes in counsel.
- In December the two surviving sisters received a $31.5 million settlement from the city, county and private entities over alleged failures to report or investigate abuse, and they have been placed with a new caregiver.