A South Georgia woman was sentenced Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering her boyfriend’s 2-year-old daughter, according to multiple media reports.
Amanda Jacobs Coleman was found guilty Friday of malice murder in the death of Brooklyn Aldridge in Coffee County, Albany-based news station WALB-TV reported.
On March 6, 2018, law enforcement and emergency responders were sent to the home of Coleman and her boyfriend, Ron Lott, the news station reported. Brooklyn Aldridge, who is the child of Lott and Rachel Aldridge, was found dead by Coleman, she told authorities.
She claimed no one except for her had any contact with the child that day, and she had last placed her down for a nap since she didn’t seem to feel well, WALB reported. Authorities didn’t note any external signs of injury to the child.
However, an autopsy performed by the GBI Regional Medical Examiner’s Office found severe brain hemorrhaging and internal damage to the back of her head. The cause of death was blunt force trauma, consistent with her head hitting a solid, flat surface, Dr. Melissa Sims-Stanley testified in court.
Sims-Stanley added that a fall from a bed, trampoline or being hit by another child would not be enough to cause the injuries, the news station reported. There were four other children who lived in the home with Coleman and Lott, and Brooklyn Aldridge was the only one not related to Coleman.
In addition, Sims-Stanley said the child would have immediately started to lose consciousness after suffering the injury and her demeanor would have been noticeably different, WALB reported.
Coleman later allegedly admitted to a witness that she was stressed, overwhelmed and had recently relapsed into methamphetamine use.
The trial lasted two days. The jury took just an hour to deliberate before the guilty verdict.
Douglas, the county seat of Coffee County, is about 60 miles northeast of Valdosta and about 200 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
In other news:
About the Author
