Travion Thompson, center, and Sahara Ervin, right, admitted to disposing of the body of Ervin’s daughter, Maliyah Bass. (Image of Maliyah: Harris County District Attorney’s Office; mug shots: Houston Police Department)
Back in 2020, Travion Thompson had an emotional outburst in front of media cameras following the tragic discovery of his girlfriend’s deceased 2-year-old daughter, Maliyah Bass, in a local bayou. Expressing his love for the late toddler, he defended their innocence amidst social media criticism, emphasizing Maliyah’s intelligence and young age.
Fast forward three years, Thompson, also known as Trevion Sanders in legal records, entered a guilty plea in a Harris County, Texas courtroom for discarding Maliyah’s body in a storm drain leading to Brays Bayou. A 40-year prison term was handed down to him on three counts: aggravated robbery with a dangerous weapon, causing significant bodily harm to a child, and tampering with evidence involving a human corpse.
In a related development, Sahara Ervin, Maliyah’s mother, also pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence related to the child’s body and causing serious bodily harm. As part of her plea deal, she agreed to testify against Thompson.
Following Thompson’s unexpected plea, Ervin’s sentencing proceeded independently, resulting in a 20-year prison term for her involvement in the case.
The resolution of this case after years of legal proceedings was welcomed by the prosecution team, led by Lacy Johnson and Assistant District Attorney Edward Appelbaum. Thompson’s confession to disposing of Maliyah’s body played a pivotal role in his sentencing.
Maliyah’s body was discovered in Brays Bayou a day after Ervin and Thompson reported her missing. Initially, the couple claimed she vanished from a playground near their apartment while they were indoors cooking. However, Thompson later shifted blame to Ervin, alleging that she had physically harmed Maliyah, leading to her tragic demise.
Authorities remain uncertain about the exact circumstances of Maliyah’s injuries, emphasizing that her caregivers confessed to concealing her body rather than revealing the full truth.