New prosecutor in toddler Laila Marie Daniel’s murder case
The case of 2-year-old Laila Marie Daniel will no longer be handled by a prosecutor from the Henry County District Attorney’s office because of a conflict of interest, the district attorney’s office announced Friday.
The Henry County office has asked the Georgia Attorney General to appoint another prosecutor from outside the county to go forward with the case.
Laila's former foster parents, Jennifer Rosenbaum, and her husband, Joseph, have been indicted on charges of malice murder, felony murder, first-degree cruelty to children and aggravated battery in connection with Laila's death. Both have pled not guilty.
Jennifer Rosenbaum apparently met Laila while Rosenbaum was working as an intern in the Juvenile Court Division between May 2015 and Sept. 2015. Her interest in becoming the toddler's foster parent was sparked during those encounters. Laila, who died in Nov. 2105, was found dead in the couple's home, according the the district attorney's office.
Jennifer Rosenbaum, who herself is a former foster child, reportedly told her attorney that she was performing the Heimlich maneuver on Laila because the child was choking on a piece of food. Authorities say, however, that Laila died from a blunt force blow her abdomen that ruptured her pancreas. An autopsy revealed injuries to the child's body that were months old.
Because of Rosenbaum’s ties to the Henry County office, where she also met co-workers with whom she socialized after work, District Attorney Daniel Pattillo had to, by law, ask the state attorney’s office to appoint a new prosecutor. The case is expected to stretch into 2018.
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Rosalind Bentley is an award-winning feature writer focusing on culture, arts and sometimes food, as they are expressed and experienced in Atlanta. She is a two-time James Beard Award finalist and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
