48 Hours “A Mother Accused” November 22 2025 Recap & Preview
This Saturday, 48 Hours revisits one of the most disturbing and emotionally charged child abuse cases in recent memory with A Mother Accused, airing November 22 at 10:30 PM ET/PT. The episode explores the heartbreaking story of Garnett Spears, a 5-year-old boy whose short life was marked by years of unexplained illness and ultimately ended in tragedy.
The Case
Lacey Spears, a single mother originally from Decatur, Alabama, had long presented herself as a devoted parent, chronicling her son Garnett’s medical struggles on social media and drawing sympathy from friends and strangers alike. But what began as a case of a sick child soon drew the suspicion of doctors and authorities, eventually revealing a dark pattern of deception.
After years of unexplained hospital visits, feeding tube surgeries, and mysterious health declines, Garnett died in January 2014 from acute sodium poisoning. His sodium levels were found to be dangerously high, and investigators soon zeroed in on the source: toxic levels of salt administered through his feeding tube.
The Investigation
Correspondent Harold Dow reports on how investigators pieced together a trail of red flags, inconsistencies, and concerning internet searches that pointed to Munchausen syndrome by proxy—a rare psychological disorder where a caregiver induces or fabricates illness in another, often a child, to gain attention or sympathy.
The episode includes powerful interviews and court footage, highlighting how police recovered two feeding bags from Spears’ home that contained lethal amounts of sodium. Surveillance footage and hospital monitoring videos were pivotal in the prosecution’s argument, showing Spears taking Garnett into a hospital bathroom just before his condition worsened.
The Trial and Outcome
In 2015, Lacey Spears was convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter in Westchester County, New York. She was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. The judge, while delivering the sentence, directly addressed the psychological manipulation and abuse Garnett endured and said the sentence reflected a balance between justice and mercy.
Spears continues to maintain her innocence, claiming medical error and insisting that she only ever wanted to help her son. However, the overwhelming forensic evidence and her history of social media fabrication left little doubt in the minds of investigators and jurors.
A Haunting Reminder
A Mother Accused serves as a painful reminder of how medical child abuse can be hidden in plain sight—and how, sometimes, the person claiming to protect a child can also be the source of their suffering. This episode captures the deep sorrow of a life lost too soon and the long pursuit of justice for a boy who never had a chance.
Don’t miss 48 Hours: A Mother Accused, airing Saturday, November 22, at 10:30 PM ET/PT on CBS. Stream afterward on Paramount+.
