A mother from Georgia has admitted guilt in a murder case involving her eight-year-old daughter’s death in 2021, as per officials on Wednesday. Brittany Hall, aged 31, received a life sentence for felony murder, 11 counts of child cruelty, concealing a death, and making false statements, revealed the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office.
Together with her partner Celeste Owens, Hall faced accusations of abuse towards her three children, leading to the death of one child. The deceased child’s emaciated body was later found in a nearby wooded area.
Initially reporting the eight-year-old Amari Hall missing on November 19, 2021, Hall and Owens claimed that the child had disappeared from their hotel room while they were asleep. However, authorities grew suspicious after discovering signs of child mistreatment. Surveillance footage from the hotel room captured both adults physically assaulting the children.
Further investigations revealed alarming internet searches on Owens’ mobile phone, indicating concerning behavior. Surveillance footage showed Owens renting a U-Haul truck and driving it to DeKalb County, where Amari’s body was eventually located.
Medical findings from the case indicated severe abuse towards Amari, with the child weighing only 54 pounds at the time of death and showing signs of physical trauma, including a lacerated liver.
Owens faced multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and child cruelty, and was found guilty on all counts. The case prosecutor described the evidence as the most distressing child abuse case witnessed.
Commenting on Hall’s sentencing, Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson emphasized the tragic failure of a mother to protect her children and condemned the abuse inflicted upon them. The statement expressed hopes for healing among the surviving siblings and extended family following the plea deal.
