Facebook Babysitter in Prison for Abusing One Baby Gets Life for Killing Second Infant

An Oklahoma woman who advertised herself as a babysitter on Facebook will serve double life sentences after one child in her care was seriously injured and another died.

Holly Sheppard, 29, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of release after 25 years in connection with a child abuse case from 2023, which prompted Oklahoma police to re-open the investigation into the 2018 death of a 22-day-old infant.

Sheppard was charged with that newborn’s murder in June 2025 and eventually pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. On Wednesday, Sheppard was handed another life sentence with the possibility of release after 35 years.

Infant Died from ‘Head Trauma’ Under Sheppard’s Care in 2018

Sheppard used Facebook to advertise her babysitting services back in 2018, when the mother of a 22-day-old infant was looking for help. Sheppard was babysitting the newborn for four days before the child was taken to the hospital
with “non-accidental abusive head trauma” and died a few days later.

No legal action was taken at the time because authorities could not determine who was watching the infant when the alleged trauma happened.

Another Child Under Sheppard’s Care was Hospitalized with Internal Bleeding in 2023

Five years later, Sheppard was still using Facebook to look for babysitting work, and in June 2023, she was hired to care for a 2-month-old baby. That child was also brought to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with internal bleeding.

Sheppard was watching the baby at the time and told police several stories about how the baby was injured. She was arrested in 2024 and took a blind plea for a charge of child abuse. The baby in that case survived.

Similarities between the two cases led authorities to reopen the 2018 case, which led to a first-degree murder charge against Sheppard while she was serving her other life sentence. Sheppard is now serving two life sentences at the Oklahoma County Detention Center.