A mother in Kent County, Michigan, has been charged with felony murder and felony child abuse following a harrowing admission to detectives regarding the death of her two-year-old daughter, Ryleigh Whitehead. In a signed statement, 27-year-old Irene Whitehead confessed, “I killed her,” after her daughter was found unresponsive in their home.
During a court appearance on Monday, Judge Kirsten Holz denied bail, citing the “horrific” nature of the allegations despite Whitehead’s lack of prior criminal history. She is scheduled to return to court on December 10, 2025, as the investigation unfolds.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office, which has been working on the case for several months, utilized specialists from various parts of the country to gather evidence. Initial findings by the Kent County Medical Examiner’s Office classified Ryleigh’s death as indeterminate. However, after Whitehead’s confession, the medical examiner updated the ruling to homicide.
In the weeks leading up to Ryleigh’s death, Whitehead had previously spoken with media outlets, claiming her daughter was hospitalized for what she described as parainfluenza-4. Yet, according to a probable cause affidavit, Whitehead was the only person present when Ryleigh lost her life.
Detectives uncovered troubling digital evidence, including a video dated August 25, 2025, featuring the voice of one of Whitehead’s other daughters, expressing distressing statements such as, “You never wanted me, you only want me to die.” This raises significant concerns about the children’s home environment.
In an interview on Thanksgiving Day, Whitehead admitted to having conducted a Google search just days after Ryleigh’s death. The search query read: “how hard is it to prove if cause of death is suffocation by bag in toddler.” During her interactions with law enforcement, she revealed her intentions in a chilling exchange with detectives.
When asked why she covered Ryleigh’s mouth with a bag, Whitehead responded, “I just wanted it to stop.” Further questioning revealed that she had contemplated harming her children since Ryleigh’s birth, stating, “I wanted to kill her.” The detective pressed, “You put the bag over Ryleigh’s mouth with the intent to kill her?” Whitehead acknowledged this by nodding slightly.
The investigation has also led authorities to look into the death of Whitehead’s two-month-old son, Leo, who died on September 25, 2021. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that this is still an open investigation.
As the legal proceedings advance, the case highlights the severe challenges that some families face and raises questions about child welfare and protection. The community remains in shock as they grapple with the gravity of these events.
