Mecklenburg prosecutors seek death penalty for Tonya McKnight
Mecklenburg County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Tonya McKnight, the aunt and former guardian among three women charged in the December 2025 death of 6-year-old Dominique Moody, amid allegations of severe neglect and abuse. The case has drawn attention for repeated prior child welfare visits to Moody’s home and rare use of capital punishment in the county in this type of homicide case.