AL - Morgan Skye Thornton, 35, capital murder charge in death of 8mo twin son Jonah, Athens, 1 Aug 2025

[Bounceycat]

Mother charged with capital murder after infant beaten to death in Limestone County | News | waaytv.com Mother charged with capital murder after infant beaten to death in Limestone County

A woman is charged with capital murder after deputies say she beat her infant to death.

About 12:38 a.m. Friday, Limestone County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 15,000 block of Estate Drive in Athens in response to a medical call involving an infant.

When deputies arrived, they discovered an unresponsive infant who had been severely beaten and showed no signs of life.

 

[Bounceycat]

Morgan Thornton charged with capital murder after infant dies

Morgan Thornton was charged with capital murder following an infant's death in Limestone County.

www.waff.com

Video clip at link includes mother answering a few questions from the reporter

Investigators carried out search warrants for the home and a blood sample from Thornton. They said she appeared intoxicated.

Morgan Thornton was denied bond Friday afternoon, but while she was talking to the judge, she sounded confused.

The judge explained to her that she’s charged for killing Jonah, referring to her baby boy.

But she responded saying, “I don’t understand.”

She later asked the judge if someone could give her more information about what happened.

WAFF 48’s Noah Cowell asked her after the hearing if she remembered anything, and she said she didn’t know what happened.

“I put my son to bed,” Thornton said. “I swaddled him and put him to bed at 7 o’clock, and then something happened.”

Noah responded, saying, “Do you remember anything after that?”

“Tried to give him CPR. That’s all,” she said.

 

[Bounceycat]

WAFF 48 did some digging into Thornton’s past.

Court records reveal she pleaded guilty to second-degree assault earlier this month. That charge stemmed from an incident in June when she kicked a police officer in the “crotch area.”

Another criminal complaint from that same day says she was driving under the influence, putting her child at serious risk of injury.

She was also charged with domestic violence and disorderly conduct. Those complaints say she hit a man in the head and was screaming profanity in a neighborhood.

These charges were dropped when she agreed to plead guilty to the assault charge.

She was also arrested for and pleaded guilty to public intoxication in 2019.

 

[Bounceycat]

Morgan's Facebook - wide open with lots of photos posted

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[Bounceycat]

Morgan's old Facebook - last post in December, 2021

Morgan Skyee

Morgan Skyee is on Facebook. Join Facebook to connect with Morgan Skyee and others you may know. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected.

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[Bounceycat]

Woman faces capital murder charge after infant's death

ATHENS, Ala. — A Limestone County woman has been charged with capital murder following the death of her infant child, who was found unresponsive and severely be

abc3340.com

Authorities said the child's mother, Morgan Skye Thornton, who appeared intoxicated at the time, was initially charged with aggravated child abuse. However, after the infant succumbed to the injuries, her charge was upgraded to capital murder. Thornton remains in custody at the Limestone County Jail, awaiting an Aniah’s Law hearing.

 

[Bounceycat]

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Press release from Limestone County Sheriff's Office:

Limestone County Woman Charged with Capital Murder Following Infant Death

On Friday, August 1st, 2025, at approximately 12:38 a.m., Limestone County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 15000 block of Estate Drive in Athens in response to a medical call involving an infant. Upon arrival, deputies discovered an unresponsive infant who had been severely beaten and showed no signs of life. Deputies immediately began life-saving efforts until Athens Fire and Athens-Limestone EMS personnel arrived and took over care. A pulse was eventually regained, and the child was transported to a hospital.

Investigators responded to both the residence and the hospital. Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that the child’s mother, Morgan Skye Thornton, was responsible for the injuries. Investigators obtained and executed search warrants for the residence and for a blood sample from Thornton, who appeared to be intoxicated at the time. Thornton was initially charged with Aggravated Child Abuse.

Tragically, the infant succumbed to the injuries sustained in this brutal assault. Thornton’s charge has since been upgraded to Capital Murder. She remains in the custody of the Limestone County Jail, pending an Aniah’s Law hearing to be scheduled at a later date.

“Please keep this family and everyone who responded to this heartbreaking scene in your prayers. While the outcome is devastating, I’m incredibly proud of our deputies, firefighters, EMTs, hospital staff, and DHR workers who did absolutely everything in their power to save this innocent child. Their dedication and compassion in the face of such horror reflect the very best of public service.”
~Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin

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Morgan didn't appear to have a dirty face later in the video of her exiting court. In her attached booking photo, she appears to have something all over her face - possibly the infant's blood? MOO

 

[Bounceycat]

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Rest in peace, little Judah. You deserved so much more.

 

[Bounceycat]

Athens woman charged with capital murder after death of her baby

Aug. 2—An Athens woman who was charged with capital murder Friday after beating her infant child, according to the Limestone County Sheriff's Office, is now in jail without bond. At 12:38 a.m. Friday, deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 15000 block of Estate Drive in Athens after...

www.yahoo.com

On July 15, Thornton pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was placed on two years of unsupervised probation. That charge stemmed from her kicking a Limestone County sergeant in the upper thigh and crotch. She was also charged with disorderly conduct for "screaming profanity."

On June 11, she was charged with third-degree domestic violence after allegedly striking her husband on the side of the head, causing him to bleed. That charge was dismissed when she pleaded guilty to the assault charge.

 

[tlcya]

Morgan's Facebook - wide open with lots of photos posted

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One of the baby's featured on her FB page appears to me to possibly have FAS. His eyes and other facial features make me wonder about this.

Fetal alcohol syndrome: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Image

 

[Bounceycat]

One of the baby's featured on her FB page appears to me to possibly have FAS. His eyes and other facial features make me wonder about this.

Fetal alcohol syndrome: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Image

I don't typically like speculating about this, but multiple of her kids have those characteristics.

 

[Bounceycat]

I mistakenly called this baby Judah in my title and in a comment. His name is JONAH per the article linked in my 2nd post in this thread. I apologize for the error and have asked mods to update the title. RIP little Jonah.

 

[tlcya]

I don't typically like speculating about this, but multiple of her kids have those characteristics.

Yeah, I thought as much but most strongly about one because those features are "classic"

 

[Bounceycat]

MST's preliminary hearing was supposed to take place today. Haven't seen any coverage just yet.

 

[Bounceycat]

https://whnt.com/news/athens/mother-facing-capital-murder-charge-for-death-of-her-baby-assigned-attorney/

Morgan Thornton, the Athens woman charged with capital murder for the death of her child, appeared in court Tuesday for a scheduled preliminary hearing.

A Limestone County Circuit judge has pushed that hearing to next week, instead appointing Thornton an attorney.

She has been held at the Limestone County Jail without bond. Thornton’s preliminary hearing has been rescheduled for August 14.

 

[Ksprincess2]

One of the baby's featured on her FB page appears to me to possibly have FAS. His eyes and other facial features make me wonder about this.

Fetal alcohol syndrome: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Image

Her daughter very clearly has it

 

[Dotta]

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[LarkBunting]

On the accused mother’s FB, there are photos from 7/31 of her at an airport with the baby. EMS was called at 12:38am on 8/1. This means that they’d literally just gotten home from their travels when she allegedly beat the baby to death.

Such a senseless waste of life.

 

[Bounceycat]

On the accused mother’s FB, there are photos from 7/31 of her at an airport with the baby. EMS was called at 12:38am on 8/1. This means that they’d literally just gotten home from their travels when she allegedly beat the baby to death.

Such a senseless waste of life.

From reading her posts when this incident happened, it appears they were taking her stepchild back to the airport to go home after a summer visit. I feel for that child knowing that this happened to her half-sibling right after she left. JMO.

 

[Bounceycat]

Testimony: Limestone Co. mother accused of killing infant son called boy a ‘demon’

New details emerged Thursday in the case of Morgan Thornton, a Limestone County mother accused of killing her son.

www.waff.com

My summary:
More details from the prelim hearing. The only person to take the stand was responding officer Martin Evans. He was called to the scene at 1:30 a.m. on August 1, where he found in the room where Jonah slept, there was blood on the walls, floor, and a diaper genie. Jonah's father told another officer Morgan woke him up and said she killed a “demon.” She then led him to Jonah's room where he was lying on the diaper genie. When EMS tried to render aid, Morgan became distraught, tried to intervene, and was shouting. She told the medics she beat Jonah three times. Two pints of vodka and two shooters were found empty at the scene. Awaiting results from her blood alcohol test. The case was held over for a grand jury.