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Prosecutors seek death penalty for mother accused of murdering adopted girl

nbcsandiego.com · 11h · first reportShare

On Tuesday morning, prosecutors revealed they would seek the harshest possible sentence against the adoptive mother of an 11-year-old girl who died in 2022 – the death penalty. Court filings show that the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office is treating the killing of Arabella McCormack as a capital case. Arabella’s adoptive mother, Leticia McCormack, is accused of torturing and starving her to death with help of her own parents, Stanley and Adella Tom. Deputy District Attorney Meredith Pro said the state was seeking sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole for the Toms. The trio have pleaded not guilty since they were arrested in November of 2022. The deputy district attorney also revealed Tuesday that it was seeking to split the case up – prosecuting McCormack separately from the Toms. The three defendants and their defense attorneys agreed to that proposal. The judge set the trial for the adoptive grandparents for Feb. 23, 2027. McCormack’s trial would be