Background: News footage of the Columbus, Ohio, home where Sharon Sakoulos allegedly killed her daughter (WSYX). Inset: Sharon Sakoulos (Franklin County Sheriff”s Office).
In a tragic incident, an Ohio mother is accused of intentionally ending her 3-year-old daughter’s life by suffocating her with a plastic bag.
Sharon Sakoulos, 41, is currently held at the James A. Karnes Correctional Center on charges of murdering her young daughter, Cassidy. During a recent court appearance, as reported by local ABC station WSYX, prosecutors revealed Sakoulos confessed to the chilling act of suffocating her daughter. This alleged crime unfolded in their Columbus, Ohio home on a Wednesday.
According to details from court documents obtained by CBS affiliate WBNS, police were dispatched to Sakoulos’ residence at 5:35 p.m. following a distress call regarding a child who wasn’t breathing. Upon their arrival, officers discovered Cassidy unresponsive and bearing visible bruises. She was swiftly transported to Nationwide Children’s Hospital but was sadly pronounced dead shortly after 6 p.m.
In conversations with WSYX, neighbors recounted their observations during the arrival of first responders. They described Sakoulos as having “weird energy” and noted her tendency to overstay her welcome, often neglecting to pay adequate attention to her daughter.
A neighbor shared with WSYX, “She frequently asked us to watch the baby. When the ambulance arrived, she stood there smoking a cigarette, which struck us as odd, especially given her emotionless demeanor.”
Authorities report that Sakoulos admitted to the heinous act, stating she placed a plastic bag over her daughter’s head until the child ceased moving. Court records further indicate she confessed to having the intention to kill her daughter.
During Sakoulos’ arraignment on Friday, prosecutors provided more details about the defendant’s history of erratic behavior and mental illness. Prosecutors said that in 2023, Sakoulos pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer by “[throwing] and [shaking] a container of AJAX cleaning substance” at the officer in 2020. In 2022, she was deemed incompetent to stand trial and spent some time being treated at the Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare Hospital.
Sakoulos was also accused of assaulting police officers in a 2016 case. The outcome of that case was not specified.
Prosecutors said that Sakoulos had a history of bipolar disorder and had been hospitalized for mental illness. Sakoulos’ public defender said her client was a military veteran who was honorably discharged.
Sakoulos was charged with murder. At Friday’s arraignment, Sakoulos’ bond was set at $2 million. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 9.
