Tonya Monroe was sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole, for giving her grandson a lethal dose of meth. | Pexels/RODNAE Productions
Tonya Monroe was sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole, for giving her grandson a lethal dose of meth. | Pexels/RODNAE Productions
A Georgia woman accused of murdering her nine-month-old grandson in 2016 has been sentenced to life in prison, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
Authorities said Tonya Monroe misled Sandy Springs police and the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office into believing that her grandson, Kobe Shaw, had suffocated to death. However, a toxicology report showed that the infant had actually died of an overdose.
"The jury verdict and the sentence reflect the tragedy that Kobe’s family has had to endure for six years," Deputy District Attorney Lauren McAuley told FOX 5 Atlanta. "I hope they find some closure and peace at the conclusion of this trial."
Originally scheduled to appear in court in 2016, Monroe fled the state, forcing U.S. marshals to spend the next month chasing and tracking her across Georgia and Alabama. Her first trial, in 2018, ended in an 11-1 hung jury verdict.
According to the report, during her second trial, the state presented evidence and expert testimony showing that Monroe poisoned Kobe, who had a rare genetic disorder, with methamphetamine. The state also asserted that she acted with malice and intent to harm the baby.
At the second trial, Monroe was found guilty on all counts, including malice murder, two counts of felony murder, cruelty to children in the first degree and distribution of methamphetamine, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
"This conviction was the result of a close partnership between our office, the Sandy Springs Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service," District Attorney Fani Willis told FOX 5 Atlanta. "After two trials over six years, I’m proud that we were able to get justice for the murder of this precious child."
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