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N.C. Women Charged with Torturing 6-Year-Old to Death
6 Feb
Summary
- Three women charged with murder for a girl's death.
- Girl allegedly tortured for over a year until death.
- Home described as unkempt with feces and urine odor.
Three women are facing first-degree murder charges in the death of a 6-year-old girl, Dominique Moody, who allegedly endured over a year of torture. Susan Robinson, Tonya McKnight, and Tery'n McKnight were charged on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, with the girl's death on December 16, 2025. Dominique weighed a mere 27 pounds when she died.
According to an affidavit, the accused women, who lived together, subjected Dominique to extensive abuse. This included confinement in a dog crate, starvation, and being forced to remain in soiled diapers. She was also reportedly bound, beaten, and duct-taped as punishment.
Police responded to a call about Dominique not breathing at Tonya McKnight's Charlotte home on December 16, 2025. The girl was pronounced dead at a hospital. Forensic investigators noted severe injuries and open wounds on her body, with significant defects to her genitalia and buttocks.
Interviews with other children in the home revealed Dominique was forced to live in a small enclosure and was frequently bound with tape and struck with a belt. They also stated that when she was found not breathing, she was placed in front of a stove to warm her.
The three-bedroom residence was found to be extremely unkempt, emitting a strong odor of feces and urine, with evidence of rats and a mixture of animal and human waste. Evidence from interviews and cell phones confirmed the prolonged abuse, including duct taping, dog crating, and beatings.
Tonya McKnight had been granted custody of Dominique in September 2021. The three women are currently held without bond.
