IQ of 53 Could Spare Accused Child Killer
A Phoenix mother accused of killing her 8-year-old daughter and dumping her body in the trash could avoid the death penalty after scoring just 53 on an IQ test. Sophia Simmons faces first-degree murder charges in the 2023 killing of Dior Echoles. Arizona law prohibits executing people found to have intellectual disabilities. Further evaluations will determine whether she qualifies.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA |
November 5, 2026
An 8-year-old girl was found dead in a dumpster on Christmas Eve. Nearly three years later, her mother is facing the possibility of execution. But an IQ score of just 53 could stand between the accused killer and Arizona’s death penalty.
The case involves Sophia Simmons, a Phoenix mother charged with first-degree murder and child abuse in the death of her daughter, Dior Echoles.
According to Phoenix police, Dior’s body was discovered inside a dumpster near 31st Avenue and Thomas Road on December 24, 2023. Investigators later received a tip alleging Simmons had assaulted her daughter before disposing of her body.
Detectives searched Simmons’ residence and discovered evidence that someone had attempted to clean the crime scene. She was later located in Tonopah, Arizona, and arrested.
Now, an entirely different question has taken center stage: Is Simmons intellectually capable of being sentenced to death?
Court records show a preliminary psychological examination placed her IQ at 53.
Under Arizona law, a score of 75 or below triggers additional evaluations to determine whether a defendant has an intellectual disability. If that disability is established, execution is prohibited, even following a capital murder conviction.
The latest courtroom battle, however, wasn’t about whether Simmons committed the alleged crime.
It was about whether 20 days actually means 20 days.
Prosecutors sought to have their psychological expert examine Simmons earlier than her attorneys believed state law allowed.
On October 23, the Arizona Court of Appeals sided with Simmons, ruling that experts must wait at least 20 days after the applicable evidence disclosure date or deadline, whichever comes later.
In a case involving the possible execution of a defendant, the court found itself settling a disagreement over the meaning of the words “not less than.”
The judges concluded that the phrase means exactly what it sounds like.
The ruling represents a procedural victory for Simmons, but it does not establish that she has an intellectual disability or that she will escape the death penalty.
Additional examinations and a court determination are still required.
If Simmons is ultimately found to have an intellectual disability, prosecutors cannot obtain a death sentence against her. A conviction could instead result in life imprisonment.
Her trial is currently scheduled for April 26, 2027.
Meanwhile, the victim at the center of the case remains 8-year-old Dior Echoles, whose death sparked the investigation nearly three years ago.
The question now reaches beyond one defendant and one courtroom: Should a person found to have an intellectual disability be protected from execution, regardless of the severity of the crime?
For Arizona prosecutors, the answer will depend on the legal findings ahead. For Simmons, those findings could mean the difference between life imprisonment and execution.
The Daily Source | Independent News & Reporting
SOURCES:
https://ktar.com/arizona-news/death-penalty-sophia-simmons-iq-review
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