A babysitter beat a 2-year-old girl in her care while her boyfriend watched, according to investigators.
On Monday, the pair pleaded guilty to the crimes and were sentenced to prison in the death of Fallon Fridley.
Kirstie Flood, who pleaded guilty to a list of charges including malice murder, was sentenced to life in prison, according to Sandy Springs police. Jeffrey Meyers pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years.
For the little girl’s mother, it was the end of a fight for Fallon, who died Dec. 10, 2020, after sustaining a skull fracture and multiple internal injuries.
“1,194 days after Fallon was murdered we got justice!” Kristin Fridley-Gantt posted on the Justice for Fallon Facebook page. “I feel that through this tragedy God chose me to be a light to others, and I intend to do so! We finally have #JUSTICEFORFALLON!!”
Flood had been a close friend of Fallon’s mother and the child’s full-time babysitter. But on Dec. 9, 2020, the little girl was found unresponsive at Flood’s apartment. The toddler was rushed to a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta location, where she died, according to police.
The woman initially told police the toddler hit her head on a slide at a park, and she put her to bed because she was acting strangely when they returned home, according to her arrest warrant. Fallon didn’t wake up.
Flood said she and Meyers tried to put the child in a cold bath in order to shock her awake before attempting CPR and calling 911. Police arrived just before 9 p.m.
The warrant describes extensive bruising all around the child’s head, on her abdomen and on her elbows, arms and legs. Her internal injuries were more severe.
Investigators found Flood had searched her cellphone for “mental help,” “l hit my child and feel guilty,” “What does it mean to have a sudden urge to beat a child that’s not yours,” “What type of people enjoy abusing other people’s children” and “Why do people abuse.”
Jury selection had been scheduled for Monday. Flood also pleaded guilty to felony murder, aggravated sexual battery, cruelty to children in the first degree, cruelty to children in the second degree, false statements and tampering with evidence. She will not be eligible for parole.
“This case has affected so many members of this department as so many had a hand in investigating and prosecuting the case,” Sandy Springs police said in social media post. “It has been a great success between our department and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, specifically the Crimes against Children Unit, with how well we worked together. Through our diligence and hard work, we were able to bring closure and a semblance of peace to the family.”
Fallon’s mother said she plans to write a book and hopefully help others living through similar horrors.
“My life was completely upended, everything I had was stolen from me,” Fridley-Gantt told the court. “Words cannot express the depths of my grief. The days, weeks and months afterwards were all a nightmare. My beautiful, sweet, 2-year-old daughter was murdered by someone I considered to be one of my best friends.”
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