Police: Mom who suffocated toddler son and daughter with plastic bags pleaded ‘guilty’ to murder
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A Maryland woman pleaded “guilty” on Wednesday to two counts of second-degree murder, after suffocating her two young children in 2014.

Sonya Spoon, 26, a self-proclaimed “juggalette” from Cheverly, Maryland, made a plea deal at the Prince George County Circuit Court. She’s facing 35 to 45 years behind bars, according to a plea arrangement she made with prosecutors.

In September 2014, paramedics were called to Spoon’s parent’s house at 6209 Forest Road in Prince George County, where they found Kayla Thompson, 3, and Ayden Spoon, 1, unconscious. They took both children to the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, but they died shortly after.

While the children were the in hospital, detectives questioned their mother. Spoon admitted that she suffocated both children using plastic bags. After placing plastic bags over their heads, she used duct tape to secure the bags and to prevent the kids from ripping them off.

“There were bags that were placed over the children’s heads,” Major Cesar Pacheco of the Prince George County PD said.

Just a week prior to the murders, Spoon had a psychiatric evaluation after threatening to kill herself and her children. Yet, after the evaluation, she was allowed to return to her parent’s home, where she lived with her kids.

Spoon was involved in a tumultuous custody battle with her daughter’s father, Lester Thompson, who demanded a paternity test to ensure that Kayla was his child. After establishing paternity, Thompson set up a child support arrangement with the court, and fought to gain custody of Kayla. It’s unclear if the lengthy custody battle had anything to do with the murders.

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office stated that Spoon will face sentencing in June.

[Feature Photo: Prince George’s County Police Department]