A Michigan woman faces manslaughter charges after allegedly killing her 11-year-old adopted daughter. Sherry Leak is accused of sitting on her daughter, ultimately causing the girl’s death. Details are still emerging about what led her to do such a thing, which could mean additional charges in the future. In the meantime, the community is coming together to honor the girl and call for harsher punishment for Leak.
Police were called to Leak’s home in the Clover Estates Mobile Home Park around 5:45 p.m. on November 23, 2025, responding to a report of an unresponsive child, WWMT reported. Emergency responders were unable to revive Mialah Leak, who was in fifth grade.
Leak, 55, was taken into police custody at the scene and was being held in the Muskegon County Jail on a felony manslaughter charge, the Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office said.
During arraignment, prosecutors say Leak admitted to sitting on Mialah “for an extended period of time.” Supposedly, she was trying to keep the girl from acting out.
A medical examiner’s report is still pending, but investigators believe the cause of death will be suffocation based on what was described. Additional charges may be filed, as the prosecutor’s office is working with Child Protective Services and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to see if the family had any prior investigations.
Since Leak’s arrest, Mialah’s twin sister, who is nonverbal and has significant medical needs, is in CPS care. The girls have been in the care of Leak since 2018, when their biological mother’s parental rights were terminated.
At the time of her arrest, Leak was being held on a $100,000 bond. During her arraignment hearing on November 25, Judge Maria Hoopes upped that bond to $300,000 FOX 17 reported. Chief Trial Attorney Matt Roberts, told the outlet that prosecutors did not ask for the bond to be increased.
Despite the increase, members of the community were displeased with both the charges and the bond amount. They believe that Leak should face harsher punishment for the death of Mialah, WLTX reported. They gathered in front of the Muskegon County Courthouse on November 26 to demand justice for the girl.
“I want the charges changed and no bond,” organizer Larisa Kirksey told the outlet. “You should not be allowed to get out on a bond at all. She needs to sit in jail. She doesn’t looked remorse and she doesn’t seemed to be bothered.”
WLTX reported that Leak posted bail, even after it was raised.
“It hurts, especially on her birthday. The weather is crazy out here but this little baby and the $100,000 bond was a slap in her face. And if we don’t stand for this, It will continue to happen,” Gemini da Poet added.
As the case began to gain traction, another adopted daughter of Leak’s spoke out, sharing that she had witnessed abuse in Leak’s home. In a Facebook post, Joni Verschueren said Leak would “hit us, withhold food as punishment, lock us in rooms, and so much more that a child should never have to endure.” She said she spoke up about the abuse, but “CPS came and left as if our pain wasn’t real.”
Verschueren was then sent back to live with her biological family. Speaking with WZZM13, she explained that she witnessed Leak abusing Mialah, but felt helpless to stop it.
“She took Mialah in her bedroom, and smacked her, and I couldn’t do anything about it, because I couldn’t get to her, because she had her living room set up where I couldn’t get to those kids,” she explained.
“I had a bond with her, I did everything with that little girl,” Verschueren told the outlet of Mialah. “Every time she saw me, like she hugged me with a big old smile on her face, like she had that smile, she had that personality that I fell in love with.”
“I’m trying to be that little girl’s voice, because she can’t anymore. She can’t open up to what she did to her.”
Leak’s next court date is December 9.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
