Key Takeaways
- • Liberty Yates Thompson, 22, pleaded guilty to first-degree battery on June 9, 2026, in Craighead County Circuit Court and was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years suspended imposition of sentence.
- • Thompson's 8-month-old infant son sustained multiple bruises on his head, legs, and torso of varying ages; medical staff at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital determined injuries were consistent with intentional abuse, not accidental trauma.
- • Thompson initially provided a false account of events (claiming she slipped in snow), but later admitted in a Mirandized interview to dropping the child from approximately 5–6 feet after throwing him into the air on January 22, 2026.
- • A charge of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor was dismissed (nolle prossed) as part of the plea arrangement; Thompson received credit for 140 days already served in custody since January 28, 2026.
- • The case was prosecuted by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Gina Knight-Nelson; the defendant was represented by public defender Jimmy Hood.
Summary
Liberty Yates Thompson, a 22-year-old Jonesboro resident, entered a guilty plea to first-degree battery on June 9, 2026, and received a 10-year prison sentence in the Arkansas Department of Correction, followed by 10 years of suspended imposition of sentence, according to court records filed in Craighead County Circuit Court. Circuit Judge Randy Philhours imposed the sentence. Thompson was credited with 140 days of jail time served since her arrest on January 28, 2026.
The case originated on January 24, 2026, when an on-call detective responded to St. Bernards Emergency Department regarding an injured 8-month-old child. Thompson initially told police she had slipped and fallen in the snow while holding her infant son and dropped him down the stairs. However, medical evaluation revealed injuries inconsistent with this account. Medical staff at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis determined the child sustained multiple bruises on his head, legs, and torso of varying ages and that these injuries appeared to be the result of intentional abuse rather than accidental trauma.
In a subsequent Mirandized interview with police, Thompson recanted her initial statement. According to the probable cause affidavit, she admitted to dropping the child in the snow after throwing him into the air on January 22, causing the infant to fall from approximately 5 to 6 feet and strike his head. The defendant was represented by public defender Jimmy Hood, while Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Gina Knight-Nelson represented the state. As part of the plea arrangement, a charge of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor was dismissed (nolle prossed).
The case originated on January 24, 2026, when an on-call detective responded to St. Bernards Emergency Department regarding an injured 8-month-old child. Thompson initially told police she had slipped and fallen in the snow while holding her infant son and dropped him down the stairs. However, medical evaluation revealed injuries inconsistent with this account. Medical staff at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis determined the child sustained multiple bruises on his head, legs, and torso of varying ages and that these injuries appeared to be the result of intentional abuse rather than accidental trauma.
In a subsequent Mirandized interview with police, Thompson recanted her initial statement. According to the probable cause affidavit, she admitted to dropping the child in the snow after throwing him into the air on January 22, causing the infant to fall from approximately 5 to 6 feet and strike his head. The defendant was represented by public defender Jimmy Hood, while Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Gina Knight-Nelson represented the state. As part of the plea arrangement, a charge of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor was dismissed (nolle prossed).
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