'I Hate This Little Bitch,' Says Daycare Worker Who Suffocated 8-Month-Old Baby To Death

A Baltimore day care worker has pleaded guilty to smothering an 8-month-old girl who would not nap.

Leah Walden, 24, was sentenced to 70 years in prison on Tuesday in the May 2017 death of Reese Bowman. The sentencing was so emotional that even the judge was crying, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Surveillance cameras captured Walden slapping Reese and pinning her down with one arm in the crib. When Reese kicked her legs, Walden snatched her up, pushed her back down, and then piled blankets over the baby's face.

In court on Tuesday, Prosecutor Anne Colt Leitess explained how Walden told a co-worker before killing the child, “Girl, I’m frustrated… I’m sick of this little bitch. I hate this little bitch… She makes me want to punch her in the face,' according to the Baltimore Sun.

Walden told the judge she didn't have training or help at the daycare. The daycare, Rocket Tiers, has since closed permanently.

Pleading guilty to first-degree murder, Walden acknowledged willfully and deliberately killing Reese. She apologized in court.

Her sister defended her actions.

“She’s not a monster. She’s not an evil person. She was frustrated,” Samantha Carlton insisted.

Reese's father, Justin Bowman, said his family left their jobs and moved from Baltimore after her death.

According to a 2017 Baltimore Sun report, Walden initially claimed she fed the infant, wrapped her with a blanket, and put her down for her nap before she became unresponsive. However, surveillance footage contradicted that.

Walden worked at the daycare facility for two-and-a-half years. She will be eligible for parole at age 59.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Photo: Baltimore Police Department]