Officials with the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office say the mother of a six-year-old girl who died in 2022 has now been charged with homicide in connection with her death.
According to the sheriff's office, deputies responded to a residence in the 600 block of 15th Place on April 20, 2022 regarding an unresponsive child. Deputies say six-year-old Layla Stahl was found dead in her bedroom. They say at the time there were no obvious signs of trauma or foul play. The Kenosha County Medical Examiner’s Office, with assistance from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, determined the cause and manner of death to be undetermined.
In July 2024, Kenosha County Sheriff's Office detectives were involved in a separate investigation involving Layla’s mother, 33-year-old Christina L. Torchia. Detectives say she tried to solicit the homicide of another person. Torchia later pled guilty to Solicitation of First-Degree Intentional Homicide and was sentenced to the maximum penalty.
Earlier this year, investigators with the sheriff's office say they re-examined Layla Stahl's death. After reviewing evidence, re-interviewing witnesses, and pursuing additional investigative leads, investigators say they developed significant new information about Layla's death.
On March 12, detectives say they interviewed Christina Torchia, and they identified numerous inconsistencies and statements that were contradicted by evidence.
According to the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office, a Kenosha County judge then approved a request to change Layla's manner of death to homicide.
Christina L. Torchia was then formally charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
Sheriff David Zoerner issued the following statement about the investigation:
“Time does not erase responsibility, and it does not diminish our duty to seek justice. This case remained a priority for our investigators, even when the answers were not immediately clear. Through persistence, professionalism, and a refusal to give up, we are now in a position to move forward with charges. Layla deserved better, and we will continue to pursue justice on her behalf.”
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