A Coweta County couple pleaded guilty and are heading to prison after a 3-month-old boy suffocated in his crib last year, authorities said.
Elizabeth Ann Norris, the infant’s mother, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and second-degree child cruelty, District Attorney Herb Cranford confirmed to AJC.com. Her boyfriend, Adam Scott Brady, pleaded guilty to second-degree child cruelty.
In March 2018, Cassius Norris was placed on his stomach with his head on a plush pillow in his crib, and he ended up suffocating, AJC.com previously reported. The child was found face down on the pillow inside the crib, which was covered with blankets, Newnan police said.
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Norris was reportedly home when the incident happened, while Brady was at work. However, the couple didn’t call 911 until nearly five hours after Brady got home.
Officers also overheard Brady acknowledge knowing the child was dead because of his military training and repeated references to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The couple were arrested shortly after and remained in the Coweta County Jail until their sentencing this week.
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Norris was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by 12 years on probation, while Brady received a four-year prison sentence to be followed by six years on probation, Cranford said.
“Understandably, parents are going to make mistakes, accidents will happen, and unforeseen dangers cannot be protected against even when parents and caregivers are doing their best,” Cranford said in a statement. “The District Attorney’s Office recognizes this and does not seek to prosecute tragic accidents.
“However, this office, as well as the laws of Georgia, recognize that criminal negligence, which demonstrates a reckless disregard for the safety of others, should be met with criminal responsibility.”
He added that Norris had been warned by the Division of Family and Children Services several times about proper sleeping positions in addition to the neglect that led to the child’s death.
“It was determined that on a regular basis these defendants left their 3-month-old child unattended for hours at a time — often overnight — on his side with a bottle propped up while in a cluttered crib,” the statement continued. “They did so with full knowledge of the inherent risks and dangers of placing a child so young in an unsafe environment and in an unsafe position.”
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