California county pays out $12M to family of eight-year-old killed in horrific abuse case

By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-06 23:06:12 | Updated at 2026-08-07 04:30:37 5 hours ago

The grandmother of a little girl who was failed by her county’s child protective system will receive a $12 million settlement for its wrongdoings.

The body of 8-year-old Sophia Mason was found in a bathtub inside a locked bathroom at her mother Samantha Johnson’s home in Hayward, Calif. in 2022.

A report revealed that an incident of physical abuse involving 8-year-old Sophia Mason in 2021 was not investigated properly. Facebook/@lynn.linnen

The county’s Board of Supervisors finalized the $12 million agreement Tuesday to pay the settlement amount to Sylvia Johnson, Sophia’s grandmother and the sole heir to her estate.

The resolution follows the release of a county-ordered independent investigation, which revealed systemic failures within the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The investigation found that the agency received eight separate referrals concerning Sophia between 2014 and 2021, according to news reports.

Investigators found a February 2021 report alleging Mason’s physical abuse was not properly investigated. In addition to the financial settlement, the agreement requires the findings to be publicly released.

As part of the settlement, a public memorial bench will also be installed in San Felipe Community Park in Hayward.

“Sophia Mason was an 8-year-old girl who deserved protection and a full life. We mourn with her grandmother and extended family for what could have been,” said supervisor Lena Tam, who chairs the board’s Social Services Committee, reported CBS News.

Mason’s body was found at her mother Samantha Johnson’s home, in a bathtub inside a locked bathroom.

Her mother had pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and child abuse. AP

Carly Sanchez, a partner with Booth Law and the attorney representing Mason’s grandmother, said that no amount of money can bring back Sophia.

“How can you feel about an exchange of money for a human life? Obviously money is helpful, but it does not bring Sophia back,” Sanchez said, as reported by ABC News.

Sanchez said the family’s priority is ensuring Mason is remembered as a beloved person, not just another case file.

Mason was found dead in a Merced home in March 2022 after enduring severe abuse. Merced Police Department Lt. Joe Perez revealed that the little girl suffered from physical abuse and was malnourished. He also said at times she was forced to live in a backyard shed, The Post reported.

Her mother subsequently pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and child abuse, receiving a prison sentence of 15 years and 8 months.