Hidden True Crime - Beauty Queen Turned Prison Inmate After Killing 18-Month-Old | Trinity Poague Deep Dive

Episode Date: December 14, 2025

On a quiet southern college campus, the last place anyone expects to find an 18-month-old child is inside a dorm room — but that’s exactly where baby “JD” ended up, night after night, as a volatile relationship spiraled behind closed doors. In this episode of Hidden True Crime, Lauren Matthias takes you inside the heartbreaking case that began with blurred boundaries on the Georgia Southwestern State University campus and ended with a toddler rushed to the hospital with catastrophic injuries. Sponsors Skims: https://www.skims.com/hidden Mint Mobile: http://mintmobile.com/hidden About Hidden True Crime What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of $45 for three-month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com. There's a certain image that comes to mind when you think of a small southern college campus,

quiet walkways, close-knit dorm life. the kind of cozy hometown charm that makes the world feel just a little safer. Georgia Southwestern State University in America's Georgia has that exact reputation. It's this place known for nursing students heading to late-night clinicals, business majors, grabbing coffee between classes, Greek life community that keeps the social scene alive, even in the middle of its rural surroundings, and like most colleges. GSW has rules, clear rules meant to keep that community safe, dorm curfew hours, guest restrictions, and strict guidelines about who can be inside residential halls.

Most students don't think much about those rules because honestly, why would they? College life, right? Freshmen and sophomores don't usually have toddlers, though, tagging along to chemistry class. Babies don't belong in dorm hallways. and they definitely aren't supposed to spend the night. But in the story we're diving into today, those rules weren't just bent, they were ignored, and the presence of one tiny child inside a college dorm night after night wasn't just unusual.

It was prohibited. More importantly, it was the first domino in a sequence of events that would end in an unfathomable tragedy, because if certain boundaries had been respected, If an 18-month-old little boy had never been staying inside a GSW dorm room under the care of someone who didn't want him there, we would not be telling the story today. This case is layered, emotional, and confusing at times. It spans two states, complicated relationships, and a series of decisions that, in hindsight, feel like flashing red warning signs. So before we step onto the GSW campus and before we get to the events of that final day,

we need to go back all the way back, back to where this story truly begins in the year 2021. Because to understand what happened to baby JD, you have to understand the people involved, the tangled dynamics leading up to this moment and the choices that brought everyone to that dorm room on a cold January, morning. My name is Lauren Matthias. And at Hidden True Crime, we go beyond the headlines. We dig into the court docs, uncover relationships, delve into the psychology and choices that lead to unimaginable acts. And in today's episode, we follow the case into the courtroom and trial, because sometimes to understand the crime and to understand the criminal, you have to uncover what's hidden. 25-year-old Julian Williams was born on July 10th, 2000, and grew up in Colquit, Georgia.

He graduated from Miller County High School in 2018 and then from Georgia Southern University in 2022. These days, he lives with his 23-year-old sister, Ashante, Burr, and works at Steward Machine in Bainbridge, where he welds and paints state and federal projects, things like bridges, dance, Back in 2021, Julian got involved with a woman named Shela Olandra, Angelus Garnica, from Tallahassee, Florida. And from everything that I could find, it doesn't look like they were ever officially exclusive. But when Shayla became pregnant with his child, Julian was committed to stepping up as the father right away. One thing, though, that is still unclear is whether Julian knew Shayla was. already married at the time, or if she and her husband were separated. That detail does matter because

it explains quite a bit about what happens next. On June 23rd, 2022, Shayla gave birth to a baby boy. Now, Florida has a statute that says if the mother is married when she gives birth, the husband must be listed on the birth certificate as the father unless a court says otherwise. And because of that statute, it's likely Shayla's husband was automatically put on the baby's birth certificate, and Julian didn't know any of this. Shayla also gave the baby the name Romeo Angelus on that official paperwork. Julian wasn't told right away that his son had been born. When he finally got the news, he headed straight to Florida. At the hospital, Shayla told him she had not chosen a name yet, and Julian came up with Jackson Drew Angelus, or JD, without realizing

the baby already had another legal name. He was never given a copy of J.D.'s birth certificate or social security card. It's not clear why Shaila withheld those documents. Maybe she didn't want Julian to find out she was married, that another man was listed as the father or that she'd already named the baby something different. Either way, when Julian later tried to look up the name Jackson, Drew Angelus, to get copies of his documents, nothing came up. And for the first five months of J.D.'s life, he mainly lived with Shayla in Tallahassee, while Julian had him every other week for visits. But things changed when Shayla told Julian she suddenly needed to go to Mexico,

where she is originally from the reason for the trip, it's still fuzzy. But here's what some online sleuths have pieced together. Apparently, Shayla has two other children with two different fathers, and both kids were believed to be in the custody of Shayla's mother, Emma Garnika. that assumption comes from the fact that Emma, her mother, had filed a child support case against one of those fathers. Back in 2008, Emma had a felony grand theft case in Collier County, Florida. The charge was reduced to a misdemeanor and she served a month in county jail. However, she was also warned that she would be deported if she wasn't a U.S. citizen.

Sleuths believed she was ultimately deported and that Shayla's children, whom Emma had custody of, eventually went with her. Then in 2014, an immigration attorney contacted the Collier County Clerk of Court asking for records of all of Emma's dispositions. Emma had been making payments, which might explain why Shayla needed to rush to Mexico to help handle paperwork payments or other immigration logistics for her mother. Emma eventually made her final payment in May of 23, and the family has since returned to Tallahassee. Again, this is speculation about why Shaila suddenly left for Mexico, but it does line up with all available information that I could find at least. Julian, however, was not comfortable with the idea of baby JD being taken to Mexico for an

unidentified amount of time. So they agreed that JD would live full time with him instead. Julian took his son into his mother's home where his sister Ashante also lived. But around the same time, their mother, Elizabeth Williams, was diagnosed with cancer and needed radiation treatment, which meant she couldn't be around the baby. So Julian and Ashanti moved into another house, the family owned about 10 minutes away. And from there, Shanti handled J.D.'s daily care while Julian worked full time to support them. It's also allowed Ashanti to continue her college coursework. Everything about this situation, honestly, shows just how close-knit and supportive the family was.

They all stepped up for each other, especially for little J.D. Over the next year, Shela came back to the U.S. and visited with baby J.D. about three times. each visit conveniently lined up with J.D.'s doctors' appointments for routine vaccinations appointments Shaila had to handle herself since she was the parent with all of his documentation. It also likely had to do with J.D. still being covered under Florida health insurance or Medicaid. One of those appointments and one of the last time Shaila saw J.D. was at his one year checkup. Somewhere during this period, it's not clear exactly when Julian started talking to an 18-year-old named Trinity Pogue. They made their relationship official in June 2023.

Now, Trinity Madison Pogue was born on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2005, to Clay Pogue and Kimberly Angeline. Kimberly, unfortunately, passed away in 2021 and her father remarried a woman named Ansley. She grew up in Donaldsonville, Georgia, and graduated from Southwest Georgia Academy. Trinity loved participating in local beauty pageants. She even won Ms. Donaldsonville in 2023 and competed in the National Peanut Festival pageant before enrolling at Georgia Southwestern State University in America's. And like her parents who both work as nurses, Trinity had planned to pursue GSW's nursing program as well. Before starting her first semester, Trinity joined a Facebook group

for incoming GSW freshman. That's where she met another student, Paris, her mort. The two hit it off right away and met in person over the summer. Trinity even joined Paris and her family on a vacation and they decided to live together for the upcoming school year. They requested each other as roommates and were placed in a dorm suite with a shared common area complete with a sink, kitchenette, and bathroom and two private bedrooms. That's a nice storm. Now, it's important to point out that before Julian and Trinity officially started dating, they were already friends, and Trinity had met baby JD. At 18, she might not have fully understood everything that comes with dating someone who already has a child, but she'd babysat small kids and even infants before.

She was a babysitter, so she thought she could handle it at first. Still, most people describe Julian and Trinity's relationship as Rocky, constantly breaking up and getting back together. On days when Julian didn't have to work, he'd usually come to GSW and stay with Trinity in her dorm. They'd go on dates, give food, go shopping, normal couple stuff, while JD typically stayed with Julian's sister, Ashante. And whether people agree with that arrangement or not, and a lot of families, raising a baby really is a family effort. Julian has even admitted that Ashanti was J.D.'s primary caretaker day to day. He was a loving father, but that was just the routine they had. And if Shanti had planned, schoolwork, or just couldn't take J.D., Julian would bring him along to

whatever he and Trinity were doing, even to stay overnight in the dorm. When all three of them were there, they used a blow-up mattress because if you've ever been in a dorm, you know those beds are basically narrow, extra long twins, even two adults, they barely fit, let alone a toddler. Plus, like a lot of students, Trinity had her bed lofted up for storage underneath, so it wasn't safe for JD to sleep on. Trinity's feelings toward JD were complicated, and we know this because of some concerning text messages that she sent to both Paris and her boyfriend Julian. As her roommate, Paris, met J.D. occasionally, adored him. She even called him my baby and would go out of her way to see him during breaks in her schedule. Trinity, on the other hand, didn't feel that same affection,

and it really showed in her messages. On August 17, 2023, Trinity texted Paris. You up? Paris said yes. Trinity wrote, quote, why do I feel anger toward JD? Like earlier, we were in bed and J.D. kept touching Julian's face and I almost cried. Paris replied, what do you mean like you feel anger toward JD? Trinity responded. Like, I don't know, not jealousy, but like I want to love him. But instead of loving, I just feel anger. Like I want to punch him.

LM, F-A-O-O-M-G, that sounds so bad. Ever since he's gotten here, Julian's not touched me. he's currently on the floor end quote paris texted back quote i think he's just trying to take care of jd and make sure he has space and everything he needs i don't think he's trying to come off as not wanting to touch you or be with you but that's his baby you know end quote trinity wrote quote maybe it's just because he had a kid with someone else and i'm just starting to realize that i can't be with someone who doesn't have my kid. Paris agreed, writing back saying, I can understand why it may be hard to raise a kid who's not yours, end quote. Then a few days later on August 22nd,

Trinity forwarded Paris a message that she'd sent directly to Julian. It said, quote, I've told you from the beginning that I would always try to love JD the same as mine, but since me and you have gotten serious. Every time I see him, I just get angry at the world and have a gut feeling of anger. I don't know what it is. Maybe because I'm so young and I know if I committed to you, then I'd be committing to him. You're 24 and I'm 18. And I know that the age difference isn't much, but you have a kid and more responsibilities than just spoiling me. I don't want to be your second baby mama. I want to be your first, but that won't ever happen. And I don't think I can continue to be in a relationship. relationship with you and have that in the back of my mind."

Paris also said that Trinity told her she wasn't sure she could ever love JD like her own and that she would get angry whenever he was around. Even more concerning, Trinity reportedly joked that she wished she could quote, run J.D. over with her car. Yeah. Despite all of this, the on again, off again cycle continued. Trinity even volunteered to babysit J.D. at times when Julian had to work, and she seemed to be trying to build some kind of relationship with him, though she insisted J.D. didn't like her. Julian told her that she just needed to give it time, so maybe Trinity thought having one-on-one time with him might help. I want to talk about something that honestly surprised me, because I didn't think underwear could make this much of a difference.

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I wear it on long workdays, flights, even at home, and it gives real support without that tight, trap feeling it's soft, lightweight, somehow manages to lift without being restrictive. It feels more like a second skin than a bra. If you've been on the fence, this is your sign. Shop, the Skims Fits Everybody Collection at Skims.com. com slash hidden. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you. Select podcast in the survey and choose hidden true crime in the drop down that follows. And if you're looking for gifts that everyone will actually love, the Skims holiday shop is now open at skims.com. During one of those babysitting occasions, Trinity texted both Julian and Ashanti to tell them,

J.D., had a bruise above his eye. She said he'd run into an open drawer. Julian didn't think much of it, but opted to take J.D. home for the night instead of staying with Trinity. Later, he said Trinity got emotional instead of crying, insisting. She would never intentionally hurt J.D. On November 9th, 2023, at 10.30 p.m., Trinity texted Paris, saying, quote, I'm just going to sleep in your room. I can't do J.D. crying that much. Hopefully he's in a better mood in the morning. Paris replied, is he still crying? Trinity wrote back. No, not right now, but Julian's trying to tell me what to do and it's pissing me off because it's like you don't even go to sleep with your own kid. If he's sitting up, he's not going to go to

sleep. I'm trying to take a shower and had to bathe him. I just set him down and let him cry because I'm not about to baby him. And quote. Well, Paris responded, Trinity, you just let him cry? Trinity responded, yep. I was trying to bathe him and he didn't like the water. hitting his face. Paris asked, did you sit him right in the line of the shower head? Trinity replied, quote, no, my back was turned to the water when he was sitting in front of your stuff. The water wasn't even getting on him that much. Paris said, oh, what the heck, J.D? Trinity answered, he's just tired. Maybe he will be good for you. But as soon as I get back, I'm taking his ass home. End quote. Later that night, Trinity texted

Paris again and said, I'm done, I can't do it, Paris. I'm not ready, end quote. But even, okay, with all of that, all of those texts, her relationship with Julian, it continued. Starting on Monday, January 8th, 2024, Julian and Trinity saw each other several times that week, going out to eat, spending the night together just to two of them. But they were also reportedly arguing on and off. At one point, Julian chose to get a hotel room rather than stay in Trinity's dorm or drive all the way home. And in classic, toxic relationship fashion, Trinity showed up to the hotel so they could make up, but they ended up arguing again. She stormed out to head back to the dorms, but then texted Julian, saying she'd been in a car accident,

panicked. He rushed to her only to discover that she had completely made it up, seemingly to get his attention. Red flag. That's a red flag. After that, they just decided to stay together at the hotel for the night. The next morning, they woke up and had a long conversation about wanting to fix things. Afterward, Julian headed home to be with JD. The following day, which was a Saturday, Trinity texted Julian asking if they could meet halfway for dinner and specifically asked him to bring JD so she could see him. Julian agreed and they met at a Chipotle in Albany, Georgia. And according to Julian, J.D. started crying while they were there, and that immediately, immediately upset Trinity. Still, the three of them went shopping afterward before heading back to

Trinity's dorm. And by the time they got there, it was around 10 p.m. Julian took a shower and then blew up the air mattress so that one of them could sleep on the floor with J.D. Trinity and J.D. ended up on the air mattress while Julian fell asleep on the lofted bed watching TV. Later that night, Trinity messaged Paris, quote, are you coming back in the morning? Somehow, I got stuck with J.D." End quote. Well, since Paris was working a night shift, she replied, yeah, I'm coming back. How'd that happen? Trinity said, Julian made me feel bad because it's already late and J.D. was being so fussy. So he asked if they could stay. Paris asked, what are y'all going to do about tonight? And Trinity answered,

no clue. I guess I'll probably sleep on the air mattress in the sink area. I can't do being around J.D. anymore. He hates me and I hate him. Paris replied, Trin, that's so messed up. Make him get on the air mattress with his child. That's not your child and y'all aren't together. Trinity responded, I know, I told him after tonight he better not contact me. A little while later, during her break, Paris came back to the dorm to see J.D. She later said that he looked completely normal. No bumps, bruises, or marks. He seemed fine. It was a quick routine. visit before she headed back to work. Not long after Paris left, Trinity texted her again, asking if she could go into Paris's room to watch TV because she needed a mental break from JD.

She said Julian wasn't helping put him to sleep. Paris told her to wake Julian up and make him help, and Trinity replied, I did. He just put him beside me and let him roll off the bed. Paris immediately texted back, all caps. What? Trinity responded, Yep, but he's okay. Trinity, so in that text, this is important, Trinity did not clarify whether J.D. rolled off the loft bed or off the air mattress. Keep that in mind. The next morning, Sunday, Trinity woke up around 9 a.m. and got into the loft bed with Julian. J.D. woke up around 9.45, so they brought him up onto the bed and laid him on Julian's chest.

A little later, Julie. and Trinity decided to take a shower together. They put JD in a round Pappas and chair, gave him some juice and chips, and put a TV show on to keep him occupied. Julian got out of the shower about five minutes before Trinity because she needed more time to shave her legs. While she finished, Julian got dressed and waited for her so he could go pick up some pizza for lunch and go to Walmart for a few items that she needed. So as he left the dorms, he took. He took out Trinity's trash, which included some dirty diapers. Then he went to Walmart and Pizza Hut. The whole trip took about 30 minutes total. So as he pulled back into the dorm parking lot,

Julian got a frantic call from Trinity. She was screaming J.D.'s name over and over, but wasn't explaining what was wrong. He raced inside. And when he got to her, unit. He saw Trinity holding JD and saying, quote, he's limp, I don't know what's wrong, and quote. Julian dropped the pizza and Walmart bags, grabbed JD and ran to his car. As he raced toward the hospital, J.D. began vomiting on him. Julian noticed it looked like foam and blood, which was also coming from J.D.'s nose. He got to the ER and rushed inside. Nurses immediately pulled J.D. from his arms and placed him on a gurney. They could tell instantly that this was a critical emergency.

Julian stood there in shock, covered in his son's vomit and blood, as J.D. was wheeled away. A security guard who happened to be an off-duty America's police officer approached him and asked what was going on. Julian told him, I'm not sure he was with my girlfriend. Shortly after Trinity arrived at the hospital. And when she spoke to the same security officer, she told him, him that J.D. had fallen off a chair, but soon doctors would discover injuries on J.D.'s tiny body that didn't match falling off a chair or even falling from a loft bed. They matched something much, much darker. After speaking with the security guard, Julian called his sister Ashanti

and asked her to come to the hospital. He was allowed to see J.D. briefly before staff placed both him and Trinity in a private family waiting room. Trying to make sense of what was happening, Julian called his cousin, who was a nurse, to get her opinion. She was still on speakerphone when the doctor walked in to explain J.D.'s condition. The doctor told them that J.D. had a cracked skull. They were considering airlifting him to Egleston, which is part of children's health care of Atlanta,

but ultimately decided he wouldn't survive the flight. That's how bad this was. Wouldn't even survive being lifelighted. Hearing that, Julian's cousin said, said, quote, if the baby dies, someone's going to be charged with murder, end quote. According to Julian, Trinity's face changed immediately. She looked shocked, stood up and said she needed to call her parents. After that moment, Julian and Trinity were never, ever in the same room again. While all of this was unfolding, Trinity texted Paris, quote, I need you to call me. Julian just took J.D. to the hospital,

end quote. Paris asked, what happened? And Trinity responded, there's cops everywhere. I have no clue. He was watching TV and when I picked him up, he was just so weak, but he was breathing. They don't think he will make it. And quote. Paris replied, Trinity, oh my God, I'm so sorry, are you okay? Did they say what happened or why they think that? Trinity answered, I don't know what to do. He hit his head at some point. I don't know. They won't give us information. Paris asked, didn't he fall off the bed last night? Trinity responded, I don't know. I was asleep. My mom is coming up here. Apparently they plan on taking me down to the station. He has a skull fracture. apparently all his friends and sister think I did it. I didn't do it Paris. I would never lay my hands

on any kid. I'm not around him more than five minutes by myself. Paris reassured her friend. Trinity, I know that. Do your parents know everything now referring to that Trinity had been keeping her relationship with Julian a secret? That's what she was referring to, meaning do they know everything now? Trinity said yes, I don't even care. I'm freaking the fuck out. Harris replied, everything will be okay. But Trinity texted back. No, it's not. They will charge me because I'm the girlfriend. I would never hurt him. How the fuck do you get a school fracture? Harris reminded her, you texted me last night and told me he fell off the bed that had to be it. but Trinity replied, quote, but that was only off the air mattress.

It's not that far from the ground. I can't text about it. I don't know what's going to happen to me. I babysit all the time and nothing like this has ever happened, end quote. And after that conversation, Trinity and her friend Paris never spoke again. Hospital staff later reported that when JD arrived, he wasn't. breathing. He had no pulse and was completely unresponsive. After a tracheostomy and CPR, they finally detected a faint heartbeat. Once he was somewhat stabilized, they noticed swelling on his face,

fluid coming out of his nose, and swelling on the back of his head injuries, the doctor said came from a direct blow. Further tests revealed a lacerated liver. When doctors finally spoke to Trinity, They told her JD's injuries could not have been caused by falling forward off a bed or chair. According to medical staff, Trinity then admitted she had shaken JD because he wasn't acting right before Julian rushed him to the hospital. And that was in quotes, wasn't acting right. At that point, investigators were called. Julian and Trinity were asked to come to the police station where they were interviewed separately by GBI agent Samantha Ford. Fort also sees both of their phones and data extractions.

What investigators found painted a clear and far more disturbing picture of Trinity's feelings toward JD. One message from December 10th, 2023 sent from Trinity to Julian Red. Julian, I don't know if I can do this anymore. This weekend was a struggle for me and I don't know what to do. I love you so much, but letting JD hit the wall and seeing the damage it did really hurt me and just lets me know that I don't have JD's best interest at heart. You should not be with a girl that doesn't love your son. I keep trying and trying, but nothing changes.

Every time I see him, I cry. I cry because he looks just like you, and a part of me wishes he wasn't yours. I cry because I realize that you and someone share something so sweet, and that's love for him. I don't know what to do, but I hope you understand where I'm coming from. I cannot be around him anymore. I'm sorry. I don't know where that leaves us, but I know you'll never make a decision. I want a family of my own, Julian.

Every time I see him, I just want to cry, seeing him happy and how he is with you at your house and how he is with me. He hates me, Julian. He cries nonstop with me, end quote. Wow. What a message. The holidays are expensive enough and there is no reason to let big wireless quietly drain your bank account at the same time. That's why right now is the perfect moment to rethink your phone bill. Mint Mobile's best deal of the year is happening right now. Their unlimited plans are 50% off, which means you can get three, six or 12 months of unlimited premium wireless for just $15 a month. It's a simple way to give an overpriced phone bill the Scrooge treatment without changing how you use your phone.

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Limited time offer upfront payment of $45 for three months, $90 for six months, $180 for a $12 months, $1,000 for a 12-month. plan is required. This is $15 a month equivalent. Taxes and freeze extra. Initial plan term only 35 gigabytes may slow when network is busy. Capable devices are required. Availability, speed, and coverage varies. C. Mintmobile.com. Investigators also found group messages Trinity had sent other girls on her dorm hall. In one message from December 9th, the day before she texted Julian apologizing for letting JD hit the wall, Trinity wrote, quote, y'all, I'm sorry. if you hear this baby cry.

He doesn't feel good. So everything he does, he cries about it. I promise, I ain't killing him, end quote. Phone data also revealed internet searches made on January 14th, the day JD was hospitalized. Some of the searches included, how do you get a brain bleed? Another one.

Can a depressed skull fracture go unnoticed? And another, how to deactivate Facebook. And also infant brain bleeds. Infant brain damage. of school fractures, and then after completing her interviews, Agent Fort went to Trinity's dorm at GSW to speak with residents. There, she interviewed Paris and several others on the hall. Some students reported hearing J.D. crying throughout the night, and then suddenly becoming silent. Others said that whenever they saw J.D. with Trinity, he was always crying, but would calm down

when someone else was around. Crime scene investigators photographed the dorm, collected evidence, including the trash Julian had taken out earlier, and gathered Julian's Walmart and Pizza Hut receipt to confirm he was not present when J.D.'s fatal injuries occurred. So an alibi. Despite all efforts to save him, baby J.D. tragically passed away just a few hours later, and the autopsy confirmed the cause of that. Blunt force trauma. Trinity Pogue was charged with malice murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts, of aggravated battery. She pleaded

not guilty. And after posting a $75,000 bond, she was released and remained out until her trial began on Monday, December 1st, 2025. The trial against Trinity was surprisingly

brief compared to many of the murder cases we've covered here, a hidden true crime. It opened with prosecutor Lewis Lamb laying out the state's narrative. He began by walking the through baby JD's early life, his birth, the circumstances surrounding his mother leaving from Mexico, and how Julian and Ashanti stepped in becoming J.D.'s full caretakers, full time. And Lamb emphasized that the main source of conflict in Trinity and Julian's relationship

centered on J.D. According to the prosecution, Trinity resented the baby. J.D. consumed more of Julian's time and affection, and although Trinity wanted a family and a child with Julian, she did not want that child to be JD. From there, Lamb outlined the events leading up to JD's death. He referenced the text messages between Trinity and her roommate Paris. The complaints Trinity made about being stuck on the air mattress with JD while Julian slept comfortably on the bed the following morning when Julian left to get pizza and then the frantic phone call that changed everything. Lamb briefly touched on JD's condition when he arrived at the hospital. his rapid decline, and the fact that he tragically died just four hours later.

His final point was the prosecution's central claim. When J.D. arrived in America, he was perfectly fine. But within the 30 minutes that he was left alone with Trinity, he suffered catastrophic injuries. Lamb detailed the fresh bruising across J.D.'s head and the front, back, cheeks, and neck along with a new school fracture and hemorrhage that medical experts would later testify required significant force and occurred just before he was brought to the hospital. In addition to the multiple head impacts, J.D. also suffered a massive laceration to his liver that caused severe internal bleeding. This injury located on the back side of the organ was

incompatible with a simple fall from a chair or from an air mattress. According to the prosecution, these injuries could only have occurred during the brief window when J.D. was alone with Trinity Polk. After that, it was the defense's turn Trinity's attorney, Tim Gamble, began by claiming the state's case was built on suspicion rather than evidence. In his view, the facts would show that nothing that happened to J.D. was the result of violence or anything Trinney had done. He acknowledged that Trinity and Julian's relationship was immature and volatile. but insisted that Julian was a controlling boyfriend who did not want Trinity to go anywhere or do anything at college. Trinity, however, believed she was in love.

Julian frequently stayed the night, usually every weekend, and most of those times, J.D. stayed with Ashanti. When J.D. did come along, or when Trinity babysat, Gamble said Julian was completely comfortable with it, because Trinity had experience caring for small children. Gamble then described the night before the incident. Trinity, Julian, and J.D. went shopping and out to eat, but J.D. refused to eat dinner. After returning to the dorm, Julian fell asleep early, leaving Trinity and J.D. awake together on the air mattress. And from there, Gamble shifted to what he saw as major investigative failures by the Americus Police Department and the GBI. He argued that no physical evidence, in the dorm, no blood spatter, no vomit, indicated that a crime had taken place. He accused investigators

of committing serious protocol violations, including mishandling a diaper found in the trash that he believed contained a bloody stool, even though investigators photographed the diaper. It was never preserved or tested. Gamble argued that if it had been tested, it might have proven that something was medically wrong with JD before he was ever left alone with Trinity. He also criticized investigators for only interviewing Trinity's friends, roommates, and hallmates, while failing to speak with any of Julian's friends or extended family besides Ashanti. This, he said, was evidence of a rush to judgment and a lack of interest in exploring any explanation other than Trinity being responsible.

Gamble also argued that when Trinity first told Paris that J.D. fell off the bed, She meant the loft bed over 40 inches high and only corrected it to the air mattress the following day because Julian didn't want anyone mentioning the loft bed fall amid the swirling accusations. The next morning, Gamble said both Trinity and Julian believe J.D. seemed fine. The only thing unusual was that he refused to eat chips or drink anything while watching TV during their shower. Gamble argued that the fact that J.D. hadn't eaten dinner the night before and wouldn't eat or drink that morning could indicate that something was already wrong with him before Trinity was ever left alone with him. And according to the defense, while Julian went to Walmart and then to pick up pizza, Trinity tidied the dorm while J.D. continued watching TV. Everything appeared normal until she suddenly noticed J.D. slumped in his chair, unable to hold his head up. She immediately called Julian because she knew. he was closed by. After Julian rushed, J.D. to the hospital, Trinity followed shortly afterward. Gamble concluded by urging the jury not to seek justice for J.D. by convicting an innocent woman. The first three witnesses called by the state were police officers and GBI agents involved in securing the dorm room, collecting evidence, and photographing the scene. The final witness of the

first day was J.D.'s own father, Julian Williams. He described his living arrangements, J.D.'s birth, how he gained custody, and how he began dating. He walked the jury through the timeline leading up to J.D.'s death. Julian insisted J.D. was completely normal, alert, sitting up, unbruised.

After receiving Trinity's panicked call, he described driving to the hospital with J.D. in his arms, patting his back as he vomited foam and blood. Julian also testified that he only learned J.D.'s legal name was actually Romeo Angelus and that he wasn't listed on the birth certificate when an officer notified J.D.'s biological mother of what was happening. Day two of the trial focused heavily on medical testimony. Several doctors and nurses who treated J.D. took the stand, followed by the GBI Medical

Examiner, the first doctor. said they immediately began CPR and had to intubate J.D. He described giving ethenephrine to restart J.D.'s heart and noted severe bruising across J.D.'s face, the most significant being a large bruise on the back of his head where fluid or blood was accumulating. According to this doctor, the fracture of the occipital bone and parietal lobe resulted from a direct blow or blunt force trauma. He testified that with injuries like a school fracture and active bleeding symptoms would appear almost immediately. This couldn't have been something that occurred long beforehand, not even an hour before. He explained that the bruising on the face could have

been caused by direct pressure and would have occurred within roughly one to eight hours of JD arriving at the hospital. The laceration to J.D.'s liver, he said, came from a high impact below. Testing showed no underlying chronic condition. This was an acute, recent injury. The doctor emphasized that no fall from an air mattress, loft bed, or chair could cause such extensive injuries to multiple parts of J.D.'s head and face, and certainly not the deep liver laceration. He also explained that the fluid J.D. vomited was likely from his brain or spinal column. The doctors were then shown the photo of the diaper found in the dorm trash, but the defense claimed contained bloody stool. But in the doctor's opinion, the color looked more like

food dye than blood. And importantly, there was no blood found in JD's GI tract. Another doctor testified that in her view, it was impossible for JD to have sustained all of those injuries from one single impact. Multiple impacts would have been required. next was the medical examiner. He stated that he performed J.D.'s autopsy on January 17th, just two days after the incident. The medical examiner began by walking the jury through every external injury he found starting right at the forehead. On the right side, he noted a cluster of small bruises, three of them and a crusted abrasion at the center of the forehead that looked like it had already begun to heal. He described it as superiors.

superficial, something that had been there at least a little while. But on the left side of the head, the abrasions were more fresh. They didn't look severe at first glance, but in cases involving small children, he said even minor looking marks can signal something deeper. Moving down the face, he pointed out pattern bruising on the left cheek, a type of injury they referred to as a tram track appearance. He explained that this is typically associated with a grip or a slap where at least two fingers make contact with the skin. Blood gets squeezed out between them. And when the hand is removed, it leaves two parallel linear bruises with light sparring in between where the fingers actually were. There was another bruise beneath the left jaw, a small bruise near the right eye and more bruising behind

the right ear in the mastoid area. And when he palpated the back of the head, he found something he referred to as a boggy, swollen area. Later, during the internal exam, he would discover a hematoma beneath the scalp confirming that swelling was due to bleeding under the tissue. He explained to the jury that bruises and abrasions can certainly occur in toddlers from simple falls, right? Kids hit their heads, often. But what raised a red flag here was that these injuries were spread across all sides of the head. They weren't consistent with a single fall or even the typical patterns seen from normal childhood accidents. Each bruise, he said, represented its own impact. He used one of the autopsy photos to show the pattern injury on the left cheek. He pointed out a sparing where fingers had likely

made contact and also abrasions around the ear. He noted that there were separate abrasions to the left ear and another to the right ear along with red discoloration and underlying tissue damage. But the most devastating injuries were found inside of J.D.'s abdomen. He discovered a significant amount of blood in the stomach. And when he examined the liver, he found the entire right lobe was essentially crushed. That injury caused substantial bleeding, not just into the abdominal cavity, but also into what's called the retroperitoneal space, the area behind the organs where the kidney sit. For blood to travel into those deep tissues, he explained J.D. would have needed active blood pressure at the time, meaning this was a pre-mortem injury. The right adrenal gland

was also torn, something he told the jury he had never seen from CPR, not even from cases, a very poor or overly forceful CPR. The force required to cause the liver damage in this case, he said, is the kind of force you would see in a car accident. More photographs taken at autopsy showed the laceration of the liver, the retroperitoneal bleeding and hemorrhages around the ribs. While he didn't find rib fractures, he explained that, impotroposy, he explained that, ribs are actually extremely flexible. He also noted hemorrhage around the intestines. And though the intestines themselves were not injured, he noticed the hemorrhage around them. And when he examined the stomach contents, he found about 15 cc's of clear fluid, some green mucus,

and small food particles he could not identify. There was no blood present in the GI track, meaning discoloration in the diaper was likely not what. The lack of stomach contents indicated J.D. had either not eaten for some time or had been unable to eat. He then returned to the significant head injury. The next photo showed J.D.'s scalp pulled back, revealing that the back right side of the scalp contained substantial hemorrhage, while the left side did not. The impact had caused bleeding of a scalp.

across the scalp layers into the galia and the sub-galia space and even disrupted the muscle beneath. These findings were consistent with a major blow to the back of the head. He told the jury that symptoms from such a head injury would appear within seconds. Certainly within minutes, a child would develop a vacant, day's look, possibly vomit, staggered drool, maybe experience seizure activity and would quickly lose the ability to protect their airway. In that condition, a child would not be eating, drinking, playing, or walking around. He emphasized that while minor head impacts can sometimes have a delayed onset, up to an hour, this injury was not that type.

This was the kind of violent trauma that produces immediate symptoms. To him, it wasn't an all-at-once injury, not something that accumulated from multiple minor bumps over time. When asked whether this could have been caused by a child falling off a bed hours earlier and only showing symptoms, the next day, he said he found that very unlikely. In his opinion, this was not a fall from 40 inches onto a hard surface, a fall from a chair hitting the front of the head or rolling off an air mattress, eight to 10 inches off the floor. Finally, they asked about the occipital fracture, the fracture at the back of the skull. That bone, he explained, is thicker and harder to break than others, and the location of the fracture was not something he had ever seen from an accidental fall in a child.

The final witness on day two was Trinity's roommate, Paris Permort. Paris described how she and Trinity met on the GSW freshman Facebook, became close friends, and eventually moved into the dorm together. She explained that Trinity introduced her to Julian and J.D. early on and that she understood Trinity and Julian's relationship to be rocky. She also knew Trinity didn't have much affection for JD, admitting that she struggled with the idea of loving another woman's child. Paris testified that Julian occasionally brought J.D. to their dorm,

and in her view, he was a joy to be around. She genuinely adored him. Paris then walked through the text messages we mentioned earlier, including Trinity's complaints about J.D. and her comments about wanting to punch him, run him over in similar statements. Paris said she believed Trinity was venting and did not take those remarks literally. She also recalled the messages from the night before the incident when Trinity said she was stuck with J.D. left awake on the air mattress with him while Julian slept on the loft bed.

The state also played a video Trinity had sent her from that night, J.D., sitting up on the bed smiling while Trinity played with his hand. The key point was that J.D. looked perfectly fine. There were no bruises and he was alert and happy. That detail undermined the defense's suggestion that J.D. might have already been injured before being left alone with Trinity the following day. Paris also testified that she visited J.D. briefly during her break and he appeared fine then as well. She went on to recount Trinity's texts, once J.D. was taken to the hospital. And as I covered earlier, those messages showed that Trinity seemed more focused on whether she'd get in trouble and what the situation meant for her,

rather than for little J.D.'s condition. On day three, we heard from the security officer who first spoke to Julian and Trinity at the hospital. He said Julian told him Trinity had been alone with J.D. and claimed that he had fallen from the chair. When Trinity arrived, she rebranded. She replied, she repeated that J.D. had been sitting on a low chair, eating chips and drinking juice, and that she heard a noise, turned around, and saw he had fallen. She said she picked him up and tried to help him. Two additional officers testified about gathering information at the hospital and noted inconsistencies in the statements, especially from Trinity. Next came GBI Special Agent Samantha Ford, who had been asked by the Georgia Southwestern Campus Police to

investigate JD's death. She interviewed Julian and Trinity, seized their phones, and performed data extractions uncovering the concerning texts and Google searches we discussed earlier. Those messages were read to the jury. She also found a video on Julian's phone from the day before the incident showing him and JD in matching outfits. And in that video, JD clearly appeared healthy. Agent Fort summarized that based on the videos, photos, and evidence, J.D. had no injuries on January 13th, but by the 14th, he had catastrophic injuries and was dying. The defense pressed Agent Ford on why the diaper containing what they believed was blood was not collected for testing. They questioned why she didn't photograph Julian's hands to determine whether he could have harmed J.D. and why his jacket with vomit stains wasn't taken as evidence.

Agent Ford explained that testing vomit for DNA would have no investigative value. The defense argued there was uncertainty, though, about whether J.D. had even vomited, and testing the jacket would have clarified that. But Samantha said the fact J.D. vomited was never disputed. They could see it, smell it, and it had been photographed. After her testimony, the state rested. The judge spoke directly to Trinity, reminding her she needed to decide whether she would testify and confirming her attorneys had fully discussed that option with her.

The defense's first witness was a friend, Jenna Newsom, who Trinity met during a beauty pageant in 2020. Jenna said Trinity had babysat her children and accompanied them on family outings. When asked whether she ever had concerns about Trinity caring for her kids, ages 4 and 7, Jenna said she did not. The next witness, Jessica Whitaker, also testified that Trinity babysat her children, ages 7, 5, and later her infant at around 2 months old, and that she never had issues with Trinity's caregiving. Following her was Megan Pitts, who lived directly across the hall from Trinity and Paris during the time of the incident. Megan testified that during the night of January 13th into the early hours of the 14th, she woke several times.

and heard JD crying continuously until it eventually stopped. On cross-examination, she said this wasn't the first time she'd heard J.D. crying in the dorm and that he typically cried more than he was with Trinity. She noted he seemed calmer when Trinity's roommate or others were present. Megan also said she heard Trinity tell multiple people that she did not like J.D. The next witness, Elaine Bro, also lived across. the hall and was in a leadership program with Trinity. Like Megan, she said she heard J.D. crying throughout the night of the 13th and to the 14th and stated that he often cried when he was in

Trinity's doorroom. And after that, the defense rested as well without calling any experts, without presenting an alternative explanation for J.D.'s injuries and without Trinity taking the stand. This was striking, given how much the defense claimed in its opening, that it would prove, but ultimately did not address. So with both sides finished, court adjourned for the day so the attorneys could prepare for closing arguments. And during the state's closing arguments, Prosecutor Lamb told the jury that Trinity resented J.D. He said there were certain facts in this case that were simply indisputable. And according to him, every medical expert agreed that J.D.'s fatal injuries came from a single incident, meaning they did not happen gradually, and they did not

occur earlier in the day or the night before. The doctors were unanimous that the trauma had to come from direct high impact blows. None of their testimony left room for the possibility that these injuries happened even three, four, or five hours prior. They were not the result of cumulative harm. These, Lam said, were medical facts without dispute. So the question for the jury became, who could have inflicted the trauma that killed this baby and who was with him at the time those injuries must have occurred between January 13th and 14th, Lam emphasized the only person who was ever alone with J.D. during the critical 16 and a half hour window was Trinity. Who could have caused the trauma that killed this baby within the time frame that it had to have occurred?

No telling in any number of things, any number of people, any number of circumstances could certainly have caused severe trauma to this child at some point in time. But that's not really the question. The question is, who could have caused this trauma within the time frame that you have available? There's an answer to that question. From 8 o'clock p.m. Saturday night, when they were in Albany, Georgia, on January 13th, 2024 until about 1230 Sunday afternoon, January 14th, okay? that whole time period, there was only one person who was ever alone with this child.

One, there was one person who was ever along with it for any period of time during that 16 and a half hours. You know who that was? That person was Trinity Hogue. He walked the jury back through the medical evidence, how the experts concluded. the injuries could only have happened after Julian left the dorm and why they were inconsistent with a single fall from a chair or even from a tall bed. J.D. had multiple impact sites across his head, face, and even his liver, which is located toward the back of the body. Those injuries could not have come from a simple forward fall. This wasn't one accident, Lamb argued, but multiple, multiple blows. During the defenses,

closing argument, attorney Tim Gamble told the jury that based on the evidence, no one could say with certainty what happened to baby JD, how it happened, or who caused it. He argued the case was built on theories and speculation. Gamble pointed out that if the GBI truly believed Trinity had inflicted those injuries with her hands, investigators would have examined and photographed her hands, but they did not. He also stressed that no evidence of a crime was found in the dorm room, no blood, no weapon, and no signs of a struggle. Gamble continued by saying that between Trinity and Julian,

Julian would have been more physically capable of causing the level of harm JD suffered, but investigators did not examine his hands either. He argued that investigators made a rush to judgment and failed to consider any alternatives, such as the possibility that J.D. was being abused at home by Julian, Ashanti, or anyone else. And once they decided to blame Trinity, that was it. In his view, there was simply no evidence in this case. Gamble also highlighted a detail in the hospital medical records that Julian supposedly stated. J.D. had fallen off a bed or chair before Trinity arrived and told anyone that.

And according to Gamble, this meant Julian didn't say, it just because Trudendi claimed it, he said it because he knew it happened. Although the state pointed out that the medical record wasn't completed in real time, and he may have mistakenly indicated that Julian said it first, Gamble maintained that it was significant and that Julian said it at all was significant. He then returned to the issue of the alleged bloody diaper. Gamble explained that the defense asked for it to be tested, but testing wasn't possible because the diaper was never collected into evidence. When doctor testified that if blood had actually been present in J.D.'s stool, it would

indicate an injury or condition that existed before the incident in the dorm. Gamble argued that the diaper was thrown away because if it tested positive for blood, it would point to prior abuse, and investigators would no longer be able to blame Trinity. Gamble also addressed the state's claim that no one had been alone with JD except Trinity. He countered that Julian was alone with JD during the minutes he waited for Trinity to finish shaving her legs in the shower, and J.D. was also left alone during the time they shower together and could have hurt himself. He reminded the jury that two witnesses, two witnesses said they heard J.D. crying during the night, which could align with the moment Trinity told her roommate Paris that J.D. had fallen out of

bed. Gamble argued that even the possibility that JD fell from the bed created reasonable doubt. He then tackled Trinity's text messages, the ones in which she expressed hateful feelings toward J.D. Gamble acknowledged that she said she didn't like him very much, but insisted that no one ever saw her hurt J.D. and even Julian never considered her dangerous around the baby. He told the jury that if there was any reasonable doubt that something could have happened, whether involving Julian, an accident while they were in the shower, or a nighttime fall from the bed, they could not convict Trinity. He urged them to rely solely on the evidence, not emotion. Trinity Poe was 18 years old. She was living alone for the first time in her life at Georgia

Southwestern College, and she'd been there one semester when all this happened. She came to the hospital after a traumatic event happened that she had no idea what was occurring on the child that was in distress, on things that she had nothing to do with and did not know what was occurring and then found herself within an hour or two being interrogated by GDI agents by police officers all that you can imagine and her trying to figure out what in the world is going on there's not been at all the state still doesn't know how it happened where it happened why it happened or who it happened or even with what was used for it to happen do not make the mistake of allowing your emotion

to be involved in this case so that you say we must have a verdict some way because the tragedy occurred and I need a verdict. Do not, as I said in the opening of this case, in your rush to seek justice,

do so on the cross of innocent blood of Trinity Pope who has not had a thing to do with the injury that occurred to that child. In the state's rebuttal, Prosecutor Lamb told the jury to consider what any of the defense's points, including criticisms of Julian's parenting or other issues actually had to do with J.D.'s death or the injuries that caused it.

He then went through each charge, explaining how the state believed it had proven Trinity guilty on every count. Lam emphasized that the state did not have to eliminate all doubt or meet a standard of mathematical certainty, nor did they have to disprove every theory raised by the defense. He concluded by saying it was the jury's responsibility to deliver justice. Their verdict, he said, would send a message, either that someone could ensure no blood was left behind, leave no weapon, and still crush a child's head and liver with a hand, foot, fist, or by throwing them against a wall and be found not guilty,

or that the jury could set a standard beyond the walls of the courtroom and deliver justice for baby J.D. by finding Trinity guilty. While waiting for the verdict, I found this article where Shayla Garnika, J.D.'s mother, finally broke her silence just a few days after the trial started. Shayla said, quote, his life was taken at such an early age and it's just been hard since everything started. I just hope, we hope, that my son gets the justice that he deserts. I quote.

Chela went on to explain that when she first learned that J.D. passed away. She had no idea that Trinity even existed, let alone have been caring for J.D. She says that she and Julian had an agreement. They would not let their child around new partners. Shayla said, I really wish he would have told me about her. We could have come to an agreement about Trinity being around our son. My son was at no fault for anything that she was feeling. If she was feeling jealous or she just wanted to have Julian for herself, she could have just said something or she could have just left Julian, end quote. Shela doesn't blame Julian for JD's death and she still supports him. She said, I don't blame Julian because nobody ever really imagined that. I don't think he ever thought that would ever happen. And it's not his fault because I know he would never do anything to intentionally hurt our son. I know there are some people saying he's at fault too, but he's not because he was just taking care of his child and his child got taken away from him.

Regarding Trinity, Shaila said, I really hope that she does get convicted, that she does go to jail because, well, everything is showing that she did it intention. end quote. So after only a few short hours of deliberation by the jury, the jury returned with their verdict. The judge began by reading the lone not guilty count, malice murder, meaning the jury did not believe that JD's death was intentional. Trinity, along with several supporters in the gallery, began to celebrate a bit too soon. Moments later. The judge continued reading the remaining charges, guilty of felony murder, guilty of aggravated battery, and guilty of cruelty to children in the first degree. Their brief celebration ended instantly. The verdict reads as follows as to each count.

On count one, it says we the jury find the defendant not guilty. On counts two, three, four, five, and six. The verdict reads, we the jury find. the defendant guilty. Fidelity murder, two counts, aggravated battery, two counts, and cruelty to child in the first degree. Less than 30 minutes later, the judge delivered Trinity's sentence, life in prison, with the possibility of parole, plus an additional 20 years to be served concurrently. Although no family members spoke in court before sentencing, both Julian and his sister Ashanti's

shared statements on Facebook shortly after trial. Julian's statement said, I just want to take a minute to say I appreciate every single person who has been there for me and my family through these past two years. Every prayer, every hug, every comment, every share, we see it, we feel it. Justice has been served even though it was not to my satisfaction. She will serve a life sentence in prison for brutally taking my child's life. Those who tried to tear me down and make me out to be a criminal and a bad dad, I'm not a criminal and I'm not a bad dad. My baby didn't deserve any of this. Like I said,

life in prison isn't enough for my liking. I don't have a criminal record. I held my composure on the stand. I had to think about my son and remember not to act out of character in order to get justice for him." And quote, Ashanti's statement said, quote, today brought a kind of peace my family has been praying for. Justice was finally served for my sweet nephew, Jackson Drew, whose life was taken from us far too soon. J.D. wasn't only just my nephew, but he was my first son, and I will forever cherish every moment that we spent together. Nothing will ever take away the pain of losing him, but knowing the truth was heard and acknowledged brings a little light back into a very dark place. We will always love him, always honor him, and always carry him in our heart.

Thanks to everyone who stood by us, prayed for us, and refused to not give up on his story. This doesn't heal everything, but it's a step toward closure, and he finally got the justice he deserved. Long live, J.D., end quote. At the end of the day, baby J.D. should be remembered for the precious everyday details that made him the sweet little boy he was. He absolutely adored birds, and one of his favorite shows was Kuturi. He loved cruising around in his little powerwheels car, snacking on Oreos, enjoying Mexican food and falling asleep in the car to Spanish music. To the people who loved him, he was a happy, gentle child. One of those little ones everyone instantly fell in love with the moment they met him. Trinity Poe should have never been given

the privilege of being in such a precious child's life. Yes, could be argued that an 18-year-old has a right to be selfish, to want their boyfriend to spoil them, to want attention and time and the excitement of a new relationship. But all of that changes the moment a child is involved. And at 18 years old, Trinity was fully capable of walking away if she wasn't ready. Instead, the tone of her messages to Julian almost made it seem as if she wanted him to choose between her and his son, like she was waiting for JD to be pushed aside so she could have Julian entirely to herself. Not everyone is equipped to step into a step-parent role. And that's understandable.

It's even more understandable for a young college student still figuring out their own life. But if that's the case, the answer is simple, you walk away. You don't manipulate someone into making a decision, especially when you know you have little patience for their child and in Trinity's own words, hate him. I can't imagine being with someone who openly despised my child, but I also can't speak to why Julian chose to stay. Maybe he hoped things would eventually settle that the tension would fade, but instead it all ended in an unthinkable tragedy. What I believe most likely happened is this. After Julian left to get pizza, J.D. probably began crying. When this is made it clear that J.D. often cried around Trinity and only Trinity.

especially when they were alone, whether because of prior mistreatment or simply because he sensed her hostility toward him, she likely tried to quiet him, maybe grabbed his face or slapped him, and then lost her temper. And in that moment, she unleashed the devastating blows that ultimately claimed his life. To me, the evidence shows that his injuries were not the result of a falling from an air mattress, a chair, or even a tall loft bed, they point to a sudden, brutal attack, multiple high-force impacts, not an accidental fall. And I think it's incredibly telling that Trinity's immediate reaction was to focus on herself, worrying about being blamed, questioning what would happen to her long before she even knew JD had passed away.

An 18-month-old child was fighting for his life and she could only think about herself. Even after losing his son, Julian faced more heartbreak when his mother, Elizabeth, passed away from cancer exactly 10 months to the day after JD died. During the trial, he explained that he still keeps the jacket he wore while rushing JD to the hospital. It remains in his bedroom, unwashed. to him it's the last physical piece of his son he has left. Julian has since continued living with his sister Ashanti supporting her through college and trying to rebuild his life. He has also begun a new relationship with a woman named Kara,

who has two children of her own. It's devastating to imagine how JD could have been part of that new blended, happy family. Another child in the house, loved and included. But because of children, Trinity Pogue's actions, that future will never be possible. Hopefully, despite all of the trauma, heartache, the loss, hopefully the justice delivered for Baby JD will help everyone not forget what happened, but eventually move forward while keeping his sweet memory.

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