Texas mother who drowned her two children sentenced to 40 years

HOUSTON, Texas (NBC Central Texas) – A Houston mother who drowned her two sons, ages 5 and 7, in 2016 pleaded guilty to two counts of murder Monday in exchange for 40 years in prison.

Sheborah Latrice Thomas drowned her daughter, 5-year-old Kayiana Thomas, in the bathtub of the family’s home on Aug. 12, 2016, in the 3000 block of Tierwester in southeast Houston.

He put his daughter’s body on a bed, then called his 7-year-old son, Araylon “Ray Ray” Thomas, into the bathroom and drowned him.

A day later, he put the children’s bodies in a trash can behind the house and went to work, trying to get his paycheck early, according to Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.

Unable to get out of town, he tried to dig a hole for the bodies, but when he couldn’t dig a hole big enough, he rolled the bodies under a neighbor’s house.

“He started packing up his house and throwing things away. He told a friend that he had drowned the children and that he had to leave town, but he thought it was a joke,” Ogg said. “When she realized she wasn’t kidding, she asked more questions and apparently she showed him where the bodies could be found. She then contacted the Houston police.”

Assistant District Attorneys James O’Donnell and Sarah Moss prosecuted the case.

“This mother knew what she was doing, she knew it was wrong, and we promised to seek justice for these two children,” Ogg said. “This plea agreement means that family members will not have to testify and this woman cannot appeal her conviction or sentence.”