Clayton County judge to hear Imani Bell criminal case update in December
A hearing to update a judge on the case against two coaches accused in the death of Clayton County student Imani Bell is set for Dec. 6.
The “calendar call” hearing, which allows prosecutors and defense attorneys to provide information on the case, is set for 11 a.m. in the courtroom of Clayton County Superior Judge Robert Mack, according to the court’s website.
A Clayton County grand jury indicted Larosa Maria Walker-Asekere and Dwight Broom Palmer in July on charges of second degree murder and second degree cruelty to children in the 2019 heatstroke death of Imani, a student at Elite Scholars Academy in Jonesboro. The pair are also charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct.
The grand jury alleged that Asekere and Palmer were responsible for the 16-year-old’s death “by conducting outdoor conditioning training for student athletes in dangerous heat, resulting in the death of Imani Bell due to hyperthermia and rhabdomyolysis,” according to court documents.
Imani collapsed Aug. 13, 2019, while doing outdoor basketball drills at the school as the heat index shot up to 106 degrees.
An Atlanta Journal-Constitution review of school district policies found the Elite Scholars appeared to have violated district policy that requires suspension of outside athletic activities when the heat index hits 95 degrees.
