Rejected For Early Release: Woman Who Put Daughter In 600-Degree Oven

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The Alabama woman who put her 14-month old daughter in a hot oven has been denied parole.

Alabama’s parole board rejected an early release for 40-year-old Melissa Wright at a hearing on Tuesday, Elmore County District Attorney Randall Houston tells PEOPLE.

She will continue to serve out her 25-year sentence behind bars, Houston says.

Wright, of Millbrook, pleaded guilty in 2003 to placing her then 14-month old daughter, Ashley Smith, in a hot oven at their Elmore County home. Wright was thought to have been suffering from mental illness at the time.

“Evidence showed that Melissa removed the racks out of the oven, turned it to broil and waited for it to heat up and then put her head first into that oven,” Houston said at the hearing, according to NBC affiliate WSFA.

It is estimated that the oven was over 600-degrees when Melissa put her daughter in. It’s unclear how long the baby was inside before she was pulled out by her father.

Smith, who suffered serious injuries, is now 15, and has undergone 28 surgeries as a result of the incident.

Credit: Ashley Wright

Credit: Ashley Wright

Smith’s older sister, Courtney Brunson, has been asking for the court to release her mother;

“I was only 8-years-old when it happened, she was different,” Brunson said, according to WSFA.

“I saw what happened. I know how she was. She was not herself.”

But Smith requested that the court keep her mother behind bars, and mentioned her 8-year-old niece and 27-month-old nephew in her statement, the Montgomery Advertiser reports.

“They are about the same ages as me and Courtney when this happened. I honestly do not trust her and I’m afraid for their safety,” Smith said of the children during the hearing.

“I can’t imagine anybody being in as much pain as I was in. And now I have a great life thanks to my mom, stepdad and brothers and sisters,” she added.

Since the incident, Smith has lived with her aunt, who she now calls her mother

49 Comments

  1. Ashley Ellenburg Adair

    July 31, 2016 at 9:42 pm

    I would only hope her punishment would be the same!!!!! Eye for an eye

  2. Laura Lynn

    July 31, 2016 at 9:43 pm

    W T F!!

  3. Kenea Dhillon

    July 31, 2016 at 9:59 pm

    So tired of people getting away under the pretext of mental
    Illness.

    • Maryann

      August 3, 2016 at 5:46 am

      Some people do have a mental I’ll . Some people are ojust so stereotype that they don’t understand and yes some people say oh I have a mental and that’s why did that and that’s why it’s actually hard for people who really do have a illness because of people like that .

  4. Kaylee Edwards

    July 31, 2016 at 10:16 pm

    Please stop posting these stories. I’m fine with articles regarding ways to keep our kids safe, but these images and stories are extremely graphic, and are not what I followed this page for.

    • Melanie Redding

      August 1, 2016 at 2:49 am

      Its too painful for me to see. I feel like people who hurt children should be killed. It bothers me and I can’t stand it which is why I couldn’t work in child welfare as a social worker. I actually cry about this stuff. I wish people would stop posting this stuff because their not raising money or trying to do anything for these kids!

    • Abby Johnson Schnackel

      August 1, 2016 at 2:53 am

      I agree, I’m not complaining about other articles that don’t necessarily pertain to kid safety but these are not stories people need to see. They don’t teach anything.

    • Denise Ah-Looh

      August 1, 2016 at 3:16 am

      Amen to that Kaylee Edwards …. I was pissed off when I saw this. Mom should be baked in that oven afterward. I didn’t read the article coz just the heading itself says it all. Unless some retarted person thinks the mom was doing a good job. Heellll noooooo… the mom should be frying her brain in that oven too.

    • Libby Clews

      August 1, 2016 at 7:46 am

      Same it’s so upsetting and I think about it for days I’ve unliked a few pages for similar things

    • Kids Safety Network

      August 1, 2016 at 2:52 pm

      Hi Kaylee 🙂 We’re listening to you and your feedback is important to us! I will pass this straight to the team. F

    • Christina Lopez

      August 1, 2016 at 5:14 pm

      Seriously. I will think non stop about this

    • Melissa

      August 2, 2016 at 11:35 pm

      I completely agree with you Kaylee. I like to know ways to keep my babies safe . I don’t need to hear about monsters hurting their babies or someone else’s.

    • CHRISS

      August 3, 2016 at 2:15 am

      Agreed!

  5. Marithé Black

    July 31, 2016 at 10:22 pm

    25 years only?

  6. Smith Verna

    July 31, 2016 at 10:23 pm

    Omg…who in the right mind would do that.

  7. Valentina Stan

    July 31, 2016 at 10:23 pm

    I agree with Kaylee Edwards ! I do not wish to see how this type of persons are promoted! Please keep it to the subject

  8. Louise Delaney-Joyce

    July 31, 2016 at 10:25 pm

    WHATTTTTTTTTT THE FUCKKKKK

  9. Brie Downey

    July 31, 2016 at 10:55 pm

    Why isn’t this woman getting the death penalty?

  10. Annette Fernandez

    July 31, 2016 at 10:56 pm

    Death penalty.

  11. Amanda Hurst

    July 31, 2016 at 11:05 pm

    I hate seeing this stuff.
    Absolutely heart breaking, and how this woman is only doing 25yrs for something so horrific, is astounding. Please stop posting this crap.

  12. Nisa Naputi

    July 31, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    To use this child’s tragedy for click bait is sick. I follow to see ways to protect my child or things I didn’t know could be potential danger. The caption alone made me sick to my stomach 🙁

  13. Yuriko Mendiguren

    July 31, 2016 at 11:22 pm

    This just made me cry and sick to my stomach. I didn’t want to even read the article…the caption, was enough.

  14. Elizabeth Black

    July 31, 2016 at 11:24 pm

    Wtf?! Some people are sick, demented, fucktards! Wow! I’d do the same to her and see how she likes it.

  15. Eva Valdez

    July 31, 2016 at 11:28 pm

    Amen

  16. Jaimilee M. Kalich

    July 31, 2016 at 11:39 pm

    Good

  17. Shan Maree

    August 1, 2016 at 12:11 am

    Please stop. Nothing good comes out of posting these horrific articles. This makes me puke and want to put a law into effect that you have to undergo serious psychoanalytic treatment before having a child.

  18. Mayra Desiree Montoya Burgos

    August 1, 2016 at 12:39 am

    SHE’S AN ANIMAL

    • Wafa Dourou

      August 1, 2016 at 8:55 am

      No she is not. Animals would risk their lives to protect their young. She is a monster.

  19. Vivi MV Brou

    August 1, 2016 at 2:03 am

    I unlike this page! Sick of seeing those kind of posts!

  20. Joanna Crespo

    August 1, 2016 at 2:21 am

    Sharon Diaz Harvey f*ing sick!! I can’t

  21. Lavonne Buettner

    August 1, 2016 at 2:21 am

    How awful!!!

  22. Meghan Wallis

    August 1, 2016 at 2:22 am

    I hate seeing this stuff. Mostly why I hardly watch the news anymore. Always devastating stories. My youngest child is 13 months as we speak, what could she possibly have done to deserve that kind of punishment?!? There babies!!! We all have rough days and many of us suffer from PPD, I have both times following births. Get HELP!! This is borderline murder, she should never get out of prison in my thoughts. As for her scared now that she has her own children this comes to my mind “blood means nothing, if your toxic to me your toxic to my kids” …. This is terrible. What breaks my heart more is that sweet little smile on her face while her head is all wrapped up =( Sick sick people.

    • Kids Safety Network

      August 1, 2016 at 2:53 pm

      Hi Meghan, thank you for sharing your concerns. I’ll pass this on to the team. F

  23. Alisha Chapman Sekerak

    August 1, 2016 at 2:22 am

    Michael Sekerak

  24. Charlene MacDonald

    August 1, 2016 at 3:35 am

    And some woman can’t have babies but a troll like this does and then hurts her

  25. Katherine Darling

    August 1, 2016 at 4:25 am

    I can’t read about stories like this, I have a daughter and things like this are too disturbing and upsetting to read!

  26. Monique Diaz

    August 1, 2016 at 4:31 am

    I think we can all learn from these stories. I know it’s making me more aware of other people and to be more careful with my kids. Also how unfair a lot of these punishments are for these monsters.

  27. Anna Stewart

    August 1, 2016 at 5:12 am

    Natasha Smith what the actual f#*k!!

  28. Maria Cooke

    August 1, 2016 at 6:52 am

    As you can see there are parents here who have joined this group seeking extra tips and advise on keeping their children safe!
    This ridiculous attempt at gaining likes and members is disturbing to say the least.
    Keep to the subject and maintain relevant topics.

  29. Alexandra C Thomas

    August 1, 2016 at 7:04 am

    Charlotte Bryant-Mcphee

  30. Roxana Joy Guy

    August 1, 2016 at 11:17 am

    She should have had the death penalty. Period!

  31. Cat Turcot

    August 1, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    I have to unlike this page, i’m sorry but it’s not something I want to see/know. I know it exists and I even work in the field, reporting many cases a week to Child Protection, but posts like that are extreme. I’m 37+ weeks pregnant, have a 21 month old, I’m on mat leave and I want to enjoy it. This makes me sick, this makes me upset. She is not a “mother”.

  32. Cheryl Kelley Black

    August 1, 2016 at 12:55 pm

    Wtf is wrong with people these days. I really think there needs to be a license to breed.

  33. Kaira Aviles

    August 1, 2016 at 4:13 pm

    Omg!!!! This is horrible!!!! I hope that baby gets better soon nd hell I will take her in my home nd give her the love she needs

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