A Henry County judge has set a trial date for Jennifer and Joseph Rosenbaum, the foster parents accused of killing a 2-year-old girl in their care.
The murder trial will begin Oct. 30 and is expected to last two weeks, according to the Rosenbaum's defense attorney Corinne Mull.
Jennifer Rosenbaum and her husband, Joseph, have been indicted on charges of malice murder, felony murder, first-degree cruelty to children and aggravated battery in connection with the death of Lalia Marie Daniel on Nov. 17, 2015. Both have pleaded not guilty.
The case has dragged on because the Henry County district attorney recused himself due to a conflict of interest. Jennifer Rosenbaum apparently met Laila while Rosenbaum was working as an intern in the DA's office in the juvenile division between May 2015 and September 2015. Her interest in becoming the toddler's foster parent was sparked during those encounters.
The prosecution will now be led jointly by the district attorneys of DeKalb County and Cobb County.
Jennifer Rosenbaum, herself a former foster child, reportedly told her attorney that Laila died after she began choking on a piece of chicken and Rosenbaum performed the Heimlich maneuver. Authorities say, however, that Laila died from a blunt force blow to her abdomen that ruptured her pancreas. An autopsy revealed injuries to the child’s body that were months old.
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