A 33-year-old woman in West Virginia has pleaded guilty to killing her four-year-old daughter in a case prosecutors say was driven by jealousy and escalating violent intent inside the home.
Rebakah Weikle entered guilty pleas on Thursday, April 30, to charges linked to the death of her daughter, Haley, in an incident that authorities say took place in the early hours of July 12, 2022, at their home in the Forest Hill area of Summers County.
Court documents and prosecutors’ statements indicate the child was fatally stabbed while her father and siblings were asleep. The case, first reported by PEOPLE and WOAY, has drawn widespread shock due to the disturbing sequence of events described in court.
Prosecutors allege that Weikle developed an obsessive jealousy over the attention her husband gave to the child. Summers County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Lefler told PEOPLE that the attack happened after she sent the child to bed and later retrieved a knife from the kitchen.
Authorities say she covered the child’s mouth to prevent noise and carried out the attack in a manner intended to avoid detection, ensuring the father would not hear anything during the incident.
Following the killing, prosecutors allege she attempted to conceal evidence, including hiding the weapon and changing clothing before going to bed. Reports also claim she later engaged in normal household activity and made internet searches related to injuries and forensic topics.
When the child’s father, Rusty Weikle, discovered something was wrong the next morning, he reportedly found that the child was unresponsive. Prosecutors say Rebakah Weikle initially hesitated before emergency services were called, with the father ultimately placing the 911 call himself.
In earlier statements to law enforcement, she reportedly attempted to shift blame onto her husband, alleging abuse, but later admitted those claims were false as part of her guilty plea.
Prosecutors said she ultimately confessed responsibility for the killing and acknowledged taking steps to ensure the act was not heard by anyone else in the home.
She has now been sentenced to two life terms after pleading guilty to murder and child abuse resulting in death. Under the ruling, she will be eligible for parole after 30 years, though court officials noted she is likely to spend the rest of her life in prison.
The case has left the local community in shock, as investigators continue to document the circumstances that led to the child’s death.
