Pulaski County mother sentenced to life in prison after death of 5-year-old girl

WAYNESVILLE, Missouri (KMIZ)

The Pulaski County District Attorney announced Wednesday that the mother of a five-year-old boy killed in 2023 was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty.

According to the prosecutor's official Facebook page, Sharmira Buford was sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in the death of a child.

According to prosecutors, Buford was charged in March 2023 after a student reported the death of his sister. Waynesville police went to the home and found the 5-year-old dead.

Police learned that the adults in the home, Buford and Angela West, regularly disciplined the victim by tying him up with rope, putting a sock in his mouth and duct-taping him, the prosecutor said. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation.

“This is one of the most tragic cases I have seen in my fourteen years as a prosecutor,” Kevin Hillman said in the social media post. “These were heinous acts committed over a long period of time against a young and innocent victim, and I commend Judge Beger for sentencing the defendant to life in prison for her role in this child's abuse and death.”

Buford, the victim's mother, and West were both charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, child abuse or neglect (resulting in death), and first-degree endangerment of the welfare of a child.

Prosecutors said West was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty in December to child endangerment resulting in death. Online court records show the other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.