Rebekah Baptiste, a 10-year-old girl, died on July 30, 2025, three days after being found unresponsive on a highway in Holbrook, Arizona, showing signs of severe abuse including bruises, malnutrition, and injuries to her vaginal and anal areas. Her father, Richard Baptiste, and stepmother, Anicia Woods, face charges of first-degree murder, multiple counts of child abuse, and child molestation; both have pleaded not guilty.​​
Prior Escape Attempt
In October 2024, then-9-year-old Rebekah jumped from a second-floor window in Phoenix, ran to a gas station, and told the manager and police that Woods was abusing her by hitting her with a belt. Despite her injuries and pleas, authorities returned her to the family after her father and Woods claimed the injuries were self-inflicted, with no arrests made at the time.​
Child Services Failures
Rebekah’s school contacted Arizona’s Department of Child Safety (DCS) at least 12 times over two years due to concerns like unexplained absences, but DCS found insufficient evidence for removal despite a history of reports dating back to 2015. DCS later identified key issues in an internal review of the case, though a full report was still being finalized as of December 2025.​
Legal Proceedings Update
A judge found probable cause in September 2025 to advance all charges to trial, set for June 2 to July 31, 2026, in Apache County Superior Court, with a pretrial hearing on January 12, 2026. No autopsy results were available as of late 2025, impacting the defense, and Richard Baptiste received new counsel due to conflicts.
