Mother held without bail for death of 5-year-old daughter

BALTIMORE - The mother of a five-year-old girl who was found dead in an East Baltimore home was held without bail on Friday.

Bernice Byrd, 32, and the girl's father Gerald Byrd, 34, were arrested on Monday after their daughter, Zona Byrd, was found dead in her bed.

They were charged with child abuse resulting in death, and several counts of child abuse in the second degree and neglect.

Bernice was originally scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, but it was rescheduled to Thursday due to her being placed on suicide watch at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women. The hearing was then rescheduled again for Friday , where she was held without bail.

She has a preliminary hearing scheduled for November.

Girl found severely malnourished

Police were called to the home on Aiken Street just before 1 p.m. on Monday by the child's aunt. Bernice had contacted her sister saying that she was concerned about her daughter who was unresponsive in bed, according to court documents.

Her sister said that Zona was "not moving and ice cold" in her bed. Paramedics arrived to the scene and confirmed that the girl had died. Neither parent could recall when the child was last seen alive, police say.

Zona was described by police as being extremely malnourished, and emaciated. They also said that her ribs were clearly visible.

Bernice and Gerald could not recall the last time the girl was fed, nor what food she last ate. The father implied that their four children were going through the garbage to find food.

Detectives searched the home and found a salad in the refrigerator, a locked bedroom closet with non-perishable food and a freezer full of meat.

Three children taken from home

The couple's three other children were taken from the home. Police said that a six-year-old boy was also severely malnourished, weighing only 35 pounds and was barely able to walk. The average weight for a boy of that age ranges from 36 to 60 pounds depending on their height range, according to Cincinnati Children's.

The two other children were placed with relatives, police say. There is no update on the condition of the other children taken from the home.

Convicted of prior child abuse

Bernice and Gerald were previously accused of child abuse and assault in 2019. One of the couple's other daughters had gone to school with a black eye and had told police she got into a fight with her parents, court documents show.

Bernice took the child's cellphone and hit her with an "open hand" before the child went to her bedroom. Gerald forced his way into her room, tried to stab her with a knife, before kicking and punching her, according to the report. She was kicked out of the house, and went to live with her aunt. It is unclear if it is the same aunt who reported Zona's body.

Gerald plead guilty to degree degree assault and served time. The case against Bernice was indefinitely postponed and later closed.