Navajo Woman Pleads Guilty to Boiling Infant in Bathtub

A Navajo woman admitted in federal court today to torturing a nine-month-old infant by forcing the child’s legs and feet into a bathtub of scalding hot water, leaving the baby with second- and third-degree burns. Elmira Curley, 22, of Navajo, N.M., pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily harm and child abuse during a hearing in Albuquerque. The crime occurred on March 14, 2016, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County.

Curley entered her plea under a binding agreement that recommends 120 months in federal prison, followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. She faces sentencing at a later date and remains in federal custody, detained without bond since her arrest on July 6, 2016. The FBI and Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety took her into custody following a federal indictment charging her with child abuse resulting in great bodily harm.

Court documents reveal Curley admitted to deliberately submerging the infant’s lower limbs into boiling water, an act that caused catastrophic injuries requiring weeks of hospitalization. The victim, a nine-month-old girl, underwent multiple skin grafts to repair the damage from the burns. Medical records confirm the child suffered long-term trauma, with extensive treatment needed to address both physical and neurological complications from the attack.

The assault unfolded in Navajo, N.M., a small, isolated community deep within the reservation, where resources for child protection are often stretched thin. The case has reignited scrutiny over child welfare systems in tribal jurisdictions, as advocates demand stronger intervention protocols and faster response times to reports of abuse.

The investigation was led by the FBI’s offices in Gallup, N.M., and Phoenix, Ariz., in collaboration with the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety’s Window Rock, Ariz., office. Federal prosecutors moved swiftly to ensure accountability, emphasizing that crimes of this magnitude will not be tolerated, regardless of jurisdictional complexities on tribal lands.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case. As the community grapples with the horror of what happened, many are calling for justice not just for the victim, but for systemic change to prevent future tragedies in vulnerable populations across the reservation.

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