Mother Who Forced Her 4-Year-Old Daughter to Stand for 3 Days Charged in Her Murder

Newly released documents have shed more light on the horrific death of Majelic “Jellie” Young, a 4-year-old North Carolina girl whose remains were discovered in her family’s backyard.

According to warrants reviewed by WCNC, the child’s body was found in late May after a social worker informed police the family had not seen Majelic since late August or early September 2020. Law enforcement executed a search warrant and found the girl buried outside the family’s home in Charlotte. Investigators say Majelic’s mother, 31-year-old Malikah Bennett, likely killed the girl in late summer last year.

“I’ve worked homicide for most of the last 10 years. I can tell you that this case is deeply disturbing,” Lt. Bryan Crum said during a press conference. “It’s disturbing to everyone who’s worked it. Many of us are parents, and it’s very difficult to understand how someone could do this to their child, kill their child and bury them and move on with their life as if nothing happened.”

The newly released warrants contain witness testimony from Majelic’s 13-year-old sister, who accused their mother of forcing the child to stand in the laundry for three days straight as a form of punishment. The teen claimed Majelic was prohibited from leaving the room or even sitting down, and eventually had a bowel movement in her pants. As time went on, the girl reportedly became so exhausted and weak she fell out the back door, hitting her head on the ground. Majelic’s older sister told officers that’s the day the child died.

According to Law & Crime, the older sister claimed their mother covered Majelic’s body with two plastic bags and then placed it the trunk of an SUV for five days. Bennett allegedly forced the teen, who is not being named, to help dig a hole in their backyard where she could hide Majelic’s remains.