KENT COUNTY, Mich. — A mother accused of killing two of her children and abusing another is back in court on Monday morning.
Cedar Springs woman Irene Whitehead, 27, is facing charges for the 2021 death of her 2-month-old son Leo, the 2025 death of her 2-year-old daughter Ryleigh and for the abuse of her now 6-year-old daughter in August of 2020 when she was 6-months-old, according to court records.
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Whitehead has pleaded not guilty to all of her charges, and on Monday, is back in court for a preliminary examination for all three cases where the court will hear both sides of the cases and determine if prosecutors have enough evidence to take her to trial.
The Kent County Prosecutor’s Office first charged Whitehead with first-degree child abuse and first-degree murder on Dec. 1, 2025, for Ryleigh’s death on Sept. 3, 2025. During an interview with investigators, prosecutors said Whitehead confessed to killing Leo, who died in 2021…