Stepmother’s murder conviction upheld
The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday upheld the murder conviction against Charlott Lynett Reaves of Stockbridge for the 2003 beating death of her 11-year-old stepdaughter Joella.
The ruling comes two weeks after the court upheld the murder conviction against Joella’s father, Rodney Reaves, who was tried separately. The couple left the girl in their garage for hours at a time as punishment and, according to the medical examiner, Joella died from trauma to almost every area of her body.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
