Bay City Mother Charged After Starving 4-Year-Old Son to Death, Child Weighed Only 10 Pounds

Jessica Burke faces charges of first-degree child abuse following the tragic starvation death of her 4-year-old son, Noah Burke, who weighed only 10 pounds despite having medical needs.

BAY CITY, MICHIGAN- A Michigan mother is behind bars and facing a potential life sentence following the starvation death of her 4-year-old son, who weighed only 10 pounds when he died. Authorities say 39-year-old Jessica Marie Burke allowed her son, Noah Burke, a child with severe medical needs, to deteriorate into a state of extreme emaciation, ultimately causing his death in October 2024.

Jessica Burke was arrested last week and charged with felony first-degree child abuse. Under Michigan law, the charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. The case has stunned Bay City residents and child advocates alike due to the disturbing level of prolonged neglect and the child’s preventable suffering.

Police were called to Burke’s home in the 900 block of McKinley Avenue at around 4:10 a.m. on October 18, 2024, after she phoned 911 and told the dispatcher that her 4-year-old son was unresponsive and not breathing. First responders arrived and attempted to revive the child, but Noah was pronounced dead later that same day.

An autopsy determined Noah’s manner of death was homicide. The cause was listed as severe, extreme calorie malnutrition and complications leading to failure to thrive. At the time of his death, Noah weighed just 10 pounds—less than a third of what a healthy child his age should weigh.

According to court documents obtained by WJRT, Burke is accused of knowingly or intentionally causing serious physical harm to her son through starvation and malnourishment. Bay County Prosecutor Michael Kanuszewski explained that Noah had been born with a rare condition known as Esophageal Dysphasia. The condition left him unable to suck, root, gag, or move his mouth. He required special care, feeding support, and constant monitoring. That support, investigators say, was never properly provided.

“She had her hands full,” Kanuszewski told reporters. “He was not an easy child to care for, but how can anyone allow that to happen? That’s why it’s so tragic. No one wins in a case like this, regardless of the outcome.”

Burke was arraigned last week and given a $250,000 cash-surety bond. She is due back in court on May 29. Prosecutors have not stated whether additional charges will be filed or if there was any involvement from child protective services before Noah’s death.

Noah’s story has devastated the Bay City community and raised renewed concerns about oversight for medically fragile children and the warning signs of caregiver neglect.