Three young children died trapped inside a burning North Carolina home while their mother was away, and now she will spend decades behind bars for their deaths.
Brandi Sturdivant, 32, pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder in connection with the December 2022 fire that killed her four-year-old child and one-year-old twins at their home on Grimsley Street in Greensboro. She was sentenced this week to between 30 years and 36 years in prison, according to reports.
Background
The fire broke out around 8 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2022, when the children were home without an adult present. Neighbors told investigators they spotted smoke and called 911 rather than Sturdivant. When authorities located her, police found her at the end of the street falling out of a car and crying.
According to prosecutors, Sturdivant initially told investigators she was using a stove in the living room to heat up the home and believed that may have been the source of the fire. She also reportedly told neighbors she intended to kill herself. Investigators later determined the oven was not actually what caused the blaze — something else in the back of the home sparked the fire, though authorities were unable to pinpoint an exact cause.
The Investigation
An autopsy determined the children died from smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. First responders found them huddled together and burned. During their investigation, police discovered that before leaving the residence, Sturdivant had allegedly turned the oven on and dialed it up to 500 degrees.
A gasoline can was recovered from the front stoop of the home. Neighbors described Sturdivant as "the crazy lady next door," according to reports.
Sturdivant was charged with three counts of second-degree murder. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced this week, avoiding a trial.
Key Takeaways
- Brandi Sturdivant, 32, pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of her four-year-old child and one-year-old twins
- The fire occurred Dec. 12, 2022 at approximately 8 a.m. at the family's home on Grimsley Street in Greensboro, N.C.
- She was sentenced to between 30 years and 36 years in prison
- Investigators determined the oven was not actually what caused the fire; an exact cause could not be determined despite a gasoline can being found at the scene
- Neighbors called 911 — not Sturdivant — and found her crying at the end of the street after the blaze erupted
What's Next
Sturdivant will serve her sentence in a North Carolina correctional facility. The case represents one of the most severe child neglect cases prosecuted in the Greensboro area in recent years.