Mother Denied Parole After Broiling Her 14-Month-Old Daughter Alive in a 600-Degree Oven
An Alabama mother sentenced to 25 years in jail for putting her 14-month-old daughter in a 600-degree oven has officially been denied parole this week.
Despite previously claiming it was an accident, Melissa Wright, 40, pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of her daughter, Ashley Smith, in 2003. According to WSFA, Wright “removed the racks out of the oven, turned it to broil and waited for it to heat up, and then put her head first into that oven.” When her father heard Smith screaming, he quickly ran to the kitchen.
Smith suffered severe third-degree burns and received over 25 reconstructive surgeries after she was pulled from the oven by her father. Now 15, she argued against Wright being released from jail early because she believes she might still be a threat to her niece and nephew, who are currently both still very young.
“I honestly do not trust her and I’m afraid for their safety,” she said, according to Us Weekly. “I can’t imagine anybody being in as much pain as I was in… I do not hate Melissa, but I do not love her. I forgave Melissa.”
According to People, the state’s parole board rejected Wright’s request for an early release on Tuesday, and she will not be eligible for parole again until 2021.
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