4-year-old dies after mother punished her to stand three days in the laundry, buries her in the yard

The mother of the 4-year-old girl who died back in August 2020 was arrested and now faces multiple charges for the death of the girl. The remains of M. Young were not found until last month and now it appears the girl was abused before she died.

The mother of the girl, later identified as Malikah Bennett, allegedly abused the girl before the death when she punished Young to stand in the laundry room for three days straight. When questioned by police, Young’s 13-year-old sister said the mother didn’t allow her to sit down or leave, and over time, her breathing became labored.

Young’s sister added that she fell on the ground from exhaustion, hitting her head on the ground. That was the day when Young died.

According to the police statement, Bennett washed the dead body, put in two plastic bags and left the body in her SUV for a couple of days. Bennett then dug a hole in their backyard and buried her.

Police couldn’t find the girl’s body until May 2021, nine months since her death. A social worker notified officers that the body is probably buried in the family’s yard in North Carolina. Police responded to the call, searched the yard on May 21 and found the remains along with the shovel.

Lucille Puckett, a family friend, described the Majelic’s abuse and death as “torture.”

Bennett was arrested and now faces multiple charges including first-degree murder, felony child abuse, inflicting physical injury and felony concealing a death. Bennett’s mother, Tammy Taylor Moffett, 53, was also charged with concealing a death and accessory after the fact of murder.