Judge Sentences Mother for Strangling Son

By Bersabel Ephrem [former] - June 9, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Juveniles | Suspects | Victims |

A defendant who is charged with attempted second degree cruelty to children was sentenced on June 8, to one year of supervised probation. 

According to a proffer of facts, Charese Moss, went into her 12-year-old son’s room and began strangling him with a phone charging cord on Feb. 6, 2021. The prosecutor said, the defendant’s husband came into the room and pulled the defendant away from the victim.

Moss wanted to kill her son because he was “evil and a devil,” said the prosecutor. 

During the hearing, Moss pleaded guilty to attempted second degree cruelty to children. On Feb. 8, 2021, Moss was indicted on charges of second degree cruelty to children.

The prosecutor asked DC Superior Court Judge James Crowell to impose a 180-days sentence with 1-year supervised probation. She also wanted the defendant to receive drug and alcohol treatment. 

“One year after the incident, the son still deals with lingering trauma,” the prosecutor said. 

Defense attorney, Thomas Key, asked Judge Crowell to impose a probationary sentence. Moss struggled with substance misuse at the time of the incident, but is no longer abusing drugs and is doing well, according to Key.

Judge Crowell sentenced Moss to 180-days, all of which were suspended, plus one year of supervised probation. As part of her probation, Moss must undergo a mental health screening and evaluation.