Maryland mom charged with murdering her 5-week-old daughter

(December 12, 2025) A quiet Cecil County neighborhood was left stunned this week after Maryland State Police announced the arrest of a young mother accused of killing her newborn daughter. Investigators say the five-week-old infant, found unresponsive inside a Rising Sun home on December 4, suffered traumatic injuries that led to her death.

The mother, 24-year-old Destiny Faith Chiveral of Charlestown, was taken into custody Wednesday night. She is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree child abuse resulting in death, and other related offenses. Authorities said Chiveral is being held without bond at the Cecil County Detention Center.

According to police, the traffic story began to unfold shortly after 9 a.m. when a 911 call drew troopers and emergency medical crews to a home on Leedle Circle in Rising Sun. When first responders arrived, they found the five-week-old baby girl already deceased. An autopsy performed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore confirmed the infant had suffered signs of trauma.

The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit launched an intensive investigation, working closely with the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office. Detectives executed search warrants on Chiveral’s phone, person, and multiple locations connected to her. Evidence recovered during that process, police said, provided probable cause for the charges now filed.

Chiveral was arrested without incident late on December 10 and taken to the North East Barrack for processing. She later appeared before a district court commissioner and was ordered detained without bond pending further court proceedings.

State Police emphasized that the investigation remains active as they continue to piece together the events surrounding the infant’s death.

(Destiny Faith Chiveral, 24, Image credit: Maryland State Police)

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Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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