Mum hurled toddler from hotel balcony after packing chilling bag for trip
Little Hannah Yonko was found on the pavement outside a hotel with three puncture wounds by members of the public who rang emergency services, but she was pronounced dead a short time later
View 2 Images
Channel Yonko was thrown from a third-story balcony of a hotel(Image: Galveston Police Department)
A mother has been convicted of murdering her 17-month-old baby after stabbing her and throwing her over a hotel balcony in harrowing crime.
Channel Yonko was found guilty on Friday in the death of her daughter Hannah Yonko after prosecutors said she threw the tot from a third-floor balcony at the Beachfront Palms Hotel in October 2024, according to Houston Public Media.
“I’m not a crier, but the first time I went through the evidence it got me tearing up,” Assistant District Attorney Michael Rinehart said. “It was definitely an emotional case.” Officers responded to calls of an abandoned child at around 9.45am when the girl was discovered on the pavement outside the hotel.
Article continues below
READ MORE: Man, 48, killed and woman, 29, injured after car crashes into pedestriansREAD MORE: True crime fans already ‘hooked’ as Netflix unveils adaptation of bestseller
View 2 Images
Hannah was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead a short time later(Image: Galveston Police Department)
Despite her injuries, Hannah was found alive in Galveston, US, and rushed to hospital bleeding. She was pronounced dead a short time later.
As well as being thrown from the balcony, she had suffered from three puncture wounds. A probable cause affidavit asserts she had also been stabbed several times.
Our daily newsletter sends you the latest headlines from the Mirror
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info
Hotel surveillance footage showed the moment she fell from the third-floor balcony. Police also recovered a bag from a hotel bin containing a “skinning” knife, toys and children’s snacks. Yonko was swiftly arrested, with the jury weighing on her mental competency.
However, claims that she was “insane” and believed she was possessed by demons when she threw her child were rejected in court. Several psychiatric evaluations of Yonko were ordered after her indictment in January 2025.
Edward Gripon, a psychiatric specialist, last year determined Yonko was able to adequately state the role of positions in the legal process, and was able to give a detailed account of her time in Galveston leading up to her child’s death, meaning she was able to stand trial.
Article continues below
In an interview with Gripon, she denied a history of drug or alcohol consumption. She also denied having medical conditions but stated she had a history with head trauma and experienced periods of forgetfulness.
Child Protective Services detailed an incident in 2019 when Yonko’s other child was taken to the emergency room of a local hospital, according to documents obtained by Houston Public Media. The documents allege that Yonko and the father of that child appeared to be under the influence and in an “altered state”.
State prosecutors said in September that they did not intent to seek the death penalty against Yonko.
“The taking of a human life by government in the name of justice is the most serious decision anyone in the criminal justice system can make,” former Galveston County District Attorney Jack Roady said about the decision.
The district attorney’s office hasn’t sought the death penalty against a defendant since 2011. Because the victim was younger than 10, Yonko was slapped with an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole under Texas law.
“It’s such a sad case and I kept on thinking of Hannah,” Juror Jeanie Tinkle said. “We all wanted to give [Yonko] the benefit of the doubt, but we couldn’t get there.”
