Baby Grace

Police Sketch

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On October 29, 2007, a fisherman found a plastic storage box washed up on an island in Galveston Bay that contained the body of a two-year-old girl. An autopsy revealed that the child, named “Baby Grace” by investigators, had a fractured skull. The Galveston police released sketches of the toddler to begin a nationwide effort to identify her.

Current Developments

Mother Found Guilty of ‘Baby Grace’ Murder
Feb. 2, 2009
A Texas jury deliberated less than two hours before returning a guilty of capital murder verdict for the mother of the 2-year-old once known only as “Baby Grace.” Kimberly Trenor was convicted of the death of Riley Ann Sawyers, whose body was found stuffed in a storage tub that washed up on the shores of Galveston Bay.

Previous Developments

Beaten Toddler Pleaded to Mom, ‘I Love You’
Jan. 27, 2009
Even while she was being beaten to death, 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers tried to stop the abuse by reaching out to her mother and saying, “I love you,” according to opening statements in the murder trial of her 20-year-old mother. District attorney Kayla Allen told jurors that the toddler’s desperate pleas did not stop the abuse, which eventually led to her death.

‘Baby Grace’ Trial Scheduled Next Week
Jan. 21, 2009
The mother of the 2-year-old girl known as “Baby Grace” has pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence in the case but will face trial for capital murder next week. Kimberly Dawn Trenor, 20, is charged with murder in the death of Riley Ann Sawyers on July 25, 2007.

Trial Postponed for Mother of ‘Baby Grace’
Nov. 5, 2008
As jury selection was about to begin for the murder trial of the mother of “Baby Grace,” prosecutors announced that the trial of Kimberly Trenor had been postponed until January. Trenor is facing capital murder charges for the death of her daughter, Riley Ann Sawyers.

Jury Selection Begins for ‘Baby Grace’ Mom
Nov. 5, 2008
The mother of a two-year-old girl who was known as “Baby Grace” after he body was found in a container in Galveston Bay is facing a trial by jury for the murder of the child. Jury selection began this week for Kimberly Trenor who is charged with the death of her daughter, Riley Ann Sawyers.

‘Baby Grace’ Mother Is Pregnant Again
April 17, 2008
The mother of the Riley Ann Sawyers is pregnant again and her trial has been postponed until after she gives birth. Meanwhile, Galveston prosecutors have come under criticism for not seeking the death penalty against Kimberly Dawn Trenor and her husband Royce Clyde Zeigler II.

Island Named for Girl in ‘Baby Grace’ Case
March 18, 2008
A small island in Galveston Bay where a fisherman found the remains of two-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers in a plastic container has been named after the girl in the “Baby Grace” case. The island has been named “Riley’s Island” by the Hitchcock, Texas, City Commission.

‘Baby Grace’ Couple May Face Death Penalty
Dec. 11, 2007
A Texas couple accused of tampering with evidence in the “Baby Grace” case have now been indicted on capital murder. Kimberly Dawn Trenor and her husband, Royce Clyde Zeigler II, were indicted after DNA evidence positively identified the toddler found in a plastic storage box in Galveston Bay as Trenor’s daughter, Riley Ann Sawyers.

‘Baby Grace’ Was Tortured, Beaten to Death
Nov. 27, 2007
The toddler the nation came to know as “Baby Grace” after her body washed up in Galveston Bay in a plastic storage bin was tortured and beaten to death by her mother and stepfather, according to court records. The two-year-old, whose real name is Riley Ann Sawyers, was killed by her mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, and her husband, Royce Clyde Zeigler II.

Texas Couple Arrested in ‘Baby Grace’ Case
Nov. 26, 2007
A Texas man and woman who did not report her child missing have been arrested in connection with the case of a two-year-old girl whose body was found in a storage box on the shore of Galveston Bay. Police are awaiting the results of DNA tests to confirm the identity of the girl they called, “Baby Grace.”