WACO, TX – A 34-year-old woman who was convicted of murder regarding the 2023 death of her 3-month-old son who reportedly starved to death inside a Waco hotel room littered with drugs and paraphernalia, learned her fate in court earlier in August, with the convicted killer being handed down a 40-year sentence for her role in her child’s death.
On August 21st, Skylynn Tuerk was sentenced to 40 years in prison following her convictions of murder, injury to a child, possession of a controlled substance, and endangering a child in connection to a grim discovery found by police inside of a Waco hotel room back in November of 2023.
Back in November of 2023, police responded to the Waco New Road Inn where they discovered an unsettling scene inside of room 123. Local reports stated an unresponsive infant, later identified as 3-month-old Jacob Harris, was discovered, appearing extremely malnourished.
Autopsy reports later determined the infant died via starvation.
Police also noted the interior of the hotel room was littered with the likes of methamphetamine, spoiled food and cockroaches, as well as a 3-year-old girl “within reach of knives, blades and a sword,” who was later transferred over to child protective services.
The parents of the two children, Tuerk and Charles Harris, were arrested shortly after the discovery, with both having admitted to procuring and using methamphetamine in the days leading up to the child’s death.
The young girl found by police inside the hotel room, identified as the victim’s sister, was recently adopted by a loving family, according to reports. While Tuerk has learned her sentence, which she’ll have to serve a minimum of 20 years before she’s eligible to be considered for parole, Harris’ case is still ongoing and has his next appearance in court this September.
Tuerk’s defense attorney, Jonathan Sibley, issued a statement following the imposed sentence, telling a local news outlet, “This was a tragic situation, and Skylynn was devastated by the loss of her child. Skylynn and her family still grieve for the loss of their child, but are pleased to put this part of the process behind them. Skylynn and her family not only lost a loved member of their family, but, this family will also have to deal with losing Skylynn for a period of time while she is incarcerated. Skylynn’s family was represented in court today to support Skylynn and I’m sure they will continue to support her in any way they can while she is incarcerated.”
State Attorney Tara Avants also shared a statement in light of the imposed sentence, saying, “We are grateful that this Defendant accepted responsibility and received a sentence in the upper end of the punishment range, while also removing the risks inherent in the trial and appeals process. Legally, there is only a 10-year difference between a life sentence and a 40-year sentence. The horrific and irresponsible nature of this Defendant's behavior left us unwilling to agree to any lower punishment.”
On August 21st, Skylynn Tuerk was sentenced to 40 years in prison following her convictions of murder, injury to a child, possession of a controlled substance, and endangering a child in connection to a grim discovery found by police inside of a Waco hotel room back in November of 2023.
Back in November of 2023, police responded to the Waco New Road Inn where they discovered an unsettling scene inside of room 123. Local reports stated an unresponsive infant, later identified as 3-month-old Jacob Harris, was discovered, appearing extremely malnourished.
Autopsy reports later determined the infant died via starvation.
Police also noted the interior of the hotel room was littered with the likes of methamphetamine, spoiled food and cockroaches, as well as a 3-year-old girl “within reach of knives, blades and a sword,” who was later transferred over to child protective services.
The parents of the two children, Tuerk and Charles Harris, were arrested shortly after the discovery, with both having admitted to procuring and using methamphetamine in the days leading up to the child’s death.
The young girl found by police inside the hotel room, identified as the victim’s sister, was recently adopted by a loving family, according to reports. While Tuerk has learned her sentence, which she’ll have to serve a minimum of 20 years before she’s eligible to be considered for parole, Harris’ case is still ongoing and has his next appearance in court this September.
Tuerk’s defense attorney, Jonathan Sibley, issued a statement following the imposed sentence, telling a local news outlet, “This was a tragic situation, and Skylynn was devastated by the loss of her child. Skylynn and her family still grieve for the loss of their child, but are pleased to put this part of the process behind them. Skylynn and her family not only lost a loved member of their family, but, this family will also have to deal with losing Skylynn for a period of time while she is incarcerated. Skylynn’s family was represented in court today to support Skylynn and I’m sure they will continue to support her in any way they can while she is incarcerated.”
State Attorney Tara Avants also shared a statement in light of the imposed sentence, saying, “We are grateful that this Defendant accepted responsibility and received a sentence in the upper end of the punishment range, while also removing the risks inherent in the trial and appeals process. Legally, there is only a 10-year difference between a life sentence and a 40-year sentence. The horrific and irresponsible nature of this Defendant's behavior left us unwilling to agree to any lower punishment.”
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments
2025-08-30T22:33-0400 | Comment by: James
Should be the DEATH PENALTY! Not justice!