A former Georgia beauty queen is on trial this week for the murder of her boyfriend’s 18-month-old son in her Georgia Southwestern State University dorm room nearly two years ago.
Trinity Poague is charged with malice murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated battery, and cruelty to children in the death of J.D. Williams, also known as Romeo Angeles, as CrimeOnline reported.
Poague was Miss Donalsonville at the time of the boy’s death and was stripped of her title after her arrest, WALB reported. She previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to Law&Crime, the toddler’s father, Julian Williams, said he was in good health when he went to Walmart to pick up a pizza around noon on January 14, 2024. He said he got a text from Poague as he drove back to the dorm saying the child wasn’t breathing.
He rushed home and drove the boy to a hospital, where doctors wanted to fly him to a Atlanta, but the boy died before they could stabilize him enough to make the trip.
Prosecutor Lewis Lamb told the court that the boy suffered catastrophic injuries, including bruises, a fractured skull, and a lacerated liver. The prosecutors also told jurors that Poague disliked the boy, who was a key source of friction between her and her boyfriend.
She alleged texted her roommate that day that she “can’t stand being around J.D. anymore. He hates me and I hate him.”
Poague’s attorney, W.T. Gamble, however, argued that police and prosecutors jumped to conclusions about her guilt. The boy’s injuries were likely caused, he said, shen he fell off a bed the night — when the father was allegedly passed out drunk.
Poague’s trial is expected to last two days.
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[Featured image: Trinity Madison Poague/Facebook]
