Mother gets probation after 1-year-old dies in Markham fire

Melody Townsend received a two-year probation sentence on Wednesday for the death of her infant daughter.

The 1-year-old, Ana Maria Townsend, died in a 2017 incident that police later ruled a homicide. The child's body was discovered inside a burned and abandoned house in Markham.

On July 3, 2017, firefighters responded to a suspicious fire at a vacant property in the 15400 block of Hamlin Avenue. The situation shifted from arson to murder when responders found the baby wrapped in a blanket in the attic.

Ana Maria's grandparents reported the mother and baby missing. Detectives spent five years searching for Townsend before leads led them to Los Angeles. Markham police arrested her for child endangerment, concealing a homicide, and aiding a fugitive.

Court records state Townsend must complete domestic violence counseling and undergo mental health evaluation and treatment. In January of this year, a co-defendant was sentenced, but the actual killer has not been located.

Advocates planned to gather at the Markham Cook County Courthouse on Thursday to request an explanation of the sentencing. Markham police have not stated publicly if the baby's father is involved, though he has not been seen since 2017.