PHOENIX, AZ – A mother was arrested for murder following the discovery of her daughter’s body in a dumpster. Sophia Simmons, 38, came under police radar after a tip suggested she had disposed of her child’s dead body in a dumpster following alleged extreme physical abuse.
A witness in New York claimed to have received a Christmas Day call from Simmons. During the call, Simmons allegedly confessed to a violent altercation with her daughter that escalated beyond control. The young victim’s identity remains undisclosed, but she is believed to have been between the ages of 5 and 7. On Sunday, around 8 p.m., she was reportedly found in a storage container in a dumpster.
The child’s body was discovered by a local searching for firewood in the dumpster. Noticing the improperly secured lid of a storage container, the passerby checked and found the deceased child. The passerby promptly reported the horrifying discovery to a nearby security guard, leading to police involvement.
Police officers on the scene noted several physical injuries on the child, ranging from her legs and arms to her torso. The wounds varied in healing stages, suggesting a pattern of repeated abuse marked by residual scars.
According to the New York-based witness, Simmons had allegedly left her daughter’s body alone after the beating. Upon her return, she found her daughter lifeless. Simmons reportedly remained with her daughter’s body for five days before deciding to store it in the dumpster, as shared in a police report.
A police-executed search warrant at Simmons’ home reportedly unveiled attempts to mask the evidence of a crime scene. At the time of the search, Simmons was not home. Following a phone tracking operation, the police located Simmons in California, reportedly en route to Arizona. She was arrested outside Phoenix and transported to the police station. Her phone records also positioned her near the dumpster around 10:30 a.m. on the day her daughter’s body was discovered.
Currently, Simmons is under arrest on charges of first-degree murder, child abuse, and tampering with evidence.