Mother gets life in toddler's beating death *| ajc.com
An Atlanta woman has been found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for the beating death of her 3-year-old daughter, Fulton County prosecutors said.
A jury on Thursday found Shuntae Battle guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and cruelty to children in the first degree in the death of Jazmine. A trial is pending for Juan Johnson, Battle’s former boyfriend, for the child’s death.
When Battle, then 23, brought Jazmine to the hospital for treatment on Aug. 12, 2010, the child was covered in bruises and suffering from massive head trauma and internal injuries to her liver, according to the Fulton District Attorney’s Office.
The girl was flown to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite but died shortly after arriving there.
A preliminary autopsy indicated the child died of blunt force trauma. Battle and Johnson were arrested by Atlanta police and initially charged with aggravated assault, but those charges were updated to murder.
Battle testified that she and Johnson took turns “disciplining†the child using a leather belt. Experts believe the abuse occurred over several months, prosecutors said.
An Atlanta woman has been found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for the beating death of her 3-year-old daughter, Fulton County prosecutors said.
A jury on Thursday found Shuntae Battle guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and cruelty to children in the first degree in the death of Jazmine. A trial is pending for Juan Johnson, Battle’s former boyfriend, for the child’s death.
When Battle, then 23, brought Jazmine to the hospital for treatment on Aug. 12, 2010, the child was covered in bruises and suffering from massive head trauma and internal injuries to her liver, according to the Fulton District Attorney’s Office.
The girl was flown to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite but died shortly after arriving there.
A preliminary autopsy indicated the child died of blunt force trauma. Battle and Johnson were arrested by Atlanta police and initially charged with aggravated assault, but those charges were updated to murder.
Battle testified that she and Johnson took turns “disciplining†the child using a leather belt. Experts believe the abuse occurred over several months, prosecutors said.