BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — Virginia Adams, the Bryan woman who pleaded guilty for playing a part in the death of her daughter, Rayven Shields, has been sentenced to 75 years in prison, with the chance of parole in 30 years.
Adams, 37, pleaded guilty to a charge of injury to a child. Her boyfriend, Patrick Wilson, was also arrested and charged in the case. However, Wilson died in 2020 before the case could be tried in court.
Adams has never said what her involvement in the death of her daughter was. After she was arrested in 2018, she pleaded not guilty and maintained her innocence.
In an exclusive interview with KAGS back in 2018, Rayven's aunt, Rubbie Young, said she feared for the 3-year-old's safety after the death of her brother, Rayven's father. Young was Rayven's caretaker but police returned the toddler to the care of Adams, her mother, on June 11, 2018 because she had been granted legal custody, according to Bryan PD.
“I told that officer, you’re taking that baby and [are about] to put her in the arms of the devil,” Young told us in that the August 2018 interview. “And, that’s exactly what he did.”
Family members told us they last saw Rayven alive on June 16, 2018. In July, family members filed a complaint with Child Protective Services and a visit from the agency in July is what prompted an investigation into Rayven's disappearance. Adams was arrested in connection with her daughter's disappearance on August 1, 2018. Rayven's body was found behind the home of Adams in August of 2018.
The court proceedings of Adams lasted only about a week after several delays and continuances.