The Misery Machine - The Case of Caliyah McNabb

Starting point is 00:00:00 If you only had two weeks on this earth, what would you want that to look like? Would you want to be surrounded by your loved ones, or would you rather go out and see the world? The little girl at the center of our story didn't get a choice in the matter. She was a newborn. Her two weeks on this earth were nothing more than a cruel joke. Today's story is just as confusing as it is senseless and vile, and it will leave you with a lot of questions. This is the story of Kalia McNab. In September of 2017, First Cousins, 28-year-old Christopher Michael McNabb, and 25-year-old Courtney Marie Bell,

Starting point is 00:00:41 lived with their two-year-old daughter, Clarissa, in a trailer in the Eagle Point Mobile Home community in Covington, Georgia, near Henderson Mill Road in Highway 36. And yes, you heard all of that correctly. These are first cousins living as a couple who have reproduced. And if you're wondering, no, this is not a crime in Georgia. marriage or relationships between first cousins is actually legal in more places than you would expect. Courtney was born on March 29, 1993, and she was raised primarily by her father, Tim Bell, and her grandparents. She didn't have a relationship with her mother, and she actually didn't know who she was until one fateful day when she was 12 years old.

Starting point is 00:01:22 Courtney was scrounging through her father's car looking for cigarettes and came across a hospital bracelet that had her birthday listed, as well as the name Pamela Hamby. Pamela Hamby had been introduced to Courtney in the past as a family friend, but the 12-year-old put two and two together and figured out that she was actually her biological mother. I'm sure, as you can guess, Pamela wasn't much of a mom. She actually didn't take care of any of her seven kids, and when Courtney attempted to salvage some sort of relationship with her,

Starting point is 00:01:51 Pamela wasn't interested. We have quite a bit to unpack here. Why is the 12-year-old scrounging around for cigarettes in her dad's car? And why was Pamela's hospital bracelet stashed in the car for 12 years? Does Tim even clean his car out? Now, in 2013, Pamela did one of the worst things that she probably could have done. She introduced her 20-year-old daughter to her biological brother's son, Christopher McNabb. The two had a lot in common, actually.

Starting point is 00:02:21 They both loved using drugs, both grew up without their mothers, shared the same bloodline, so it would only make sense that they would want to become a couple. obviously. Now, I'm not going to pass judgment on their bizarre cousin relationship to each his own, right? But it's not like Christopher was a stand-up guy either. In fact, he was described as the kid from hell and his misbehavior spanned back when he was just eight years old. So with that in mind, let's talk a little bit about Christopher. He was born on March 23, 1990. By the time he was 14 years old, he already racked up a criminal record that included fighting, stealing, destruction of property, and running away from home.

Starting point is 00:03:02 In fact, Christopher's father and stepmother called the cops on him multiple times. His parents even had to keep a deadbolt on their bedroom door in order to keep Christopher out because he'd just steal their stuff, and it didn't actually even help. He'd reportedly stolen around $300 in cash and $7,000 in jewelry from his parents' bedroom and used it to get hotel rooms to do drugs in. At the age of 17, he was arrested for theft, criminal trespass, larceny, criminal damage to property, and auto theft. You see, Christopher kept breaking into a metal shop called Woods Fabrication, located at 2759 Old State Highway 113 in Taylorsville, Georgia.

Starting point is 00:03:42 While there, he stole a 2006 Ford F-350 and smashed it through a locked gate in order to take it. You'd think Christopher wouldn't be dumb enough to hit the same place up twice, right? Well, nearly two weeks later he was arrested again after police were called by a security guard who claimed that Christopher tried to run him over while he was in the process of stealing a 1989 Ford truck and used it to break through offense. Nine days later, police were called back to the fabrication shop where the owner reported the theft of a 1964 Buick Skylark that Christopher used to once again crash through the facility's gate. It is suspected that Christopher did this five times in total. his misadventures with Grand Theft Auto, Christopher stole a PlayStation and a car from a house he was hanging out at. He was yet again arrested and spent two years in prison. Now you would think after doing real time in prison Christopher would have gotten his life together, right? Well, five weeks after

Starting point is 00:04:39 being released, he stole his father's car and led police on a high-speed chase that ended after he hit a curb and blew out one of the tires. Then he chose to flee on foot. He was located at around two in the morning and arrested yet again. So now that we have a little bit more background on our couple, we can continue with their story. Courtney and Christopher claimed that they were married, although this wasn't actually the case. Chris's family was actually really embarrassed about their relationship, with his father being the most vocal about it.

Starting point is 00:05:09 In 2015, Courtney became pregnant with the couple's first daughter, Clarissa, after her IUD allegedly fell out. She'd been pregnant once prior with another man's baby, which turned out. out to be a stillborn. Chris was not around for the first year and a half of Clarissa's life because he was back in jail yet again. But when he got out, he claimed the two had an instant bond. Christopher Courtney and Clarissa were initially living with Courtney's father, Tim Bell, but eventually needed more space and moved into a trailer in the Eagle Point mobile home community in Covington, Georgia. But this wasn't a family-friendly trailer part full of kids or retirees. Rather, it housed a lot of criminals,

Starting point is 00:05:49 some pretty bad ones, in fact. The trailer park used to be called the Pine Valley Mobile Home Park, and on August 16, 2000, a man by the name of William David Riley, Sr. lit his rented trailer on fire with his three kids, six-year-old Ashley, five-year-old William, and three-year-old Samantha inside. He was sentenced to death on March 14, 2003.

Starting point is 00:06:12 Eagle Point was also a known location by the police for domestic calls. Some of those calls were dispatched to the McNabb Bell Trail, because by now Christopher started putting his hands on Courtney. Family and friends have been quoted as saying that Courtney always had bruises all over her. And on one occasion, Christopher started busting the windows in the trailer in a fit of rage. You need to tell me 911 was the address of your emergency? You need to send the police out here because rock 31 and bust the windows I had to throw them. Who is busting the windows out?

Starting point is 00:06:49 The people that reached 31, and he busted windows, started busting windows out and started cussing me. But this didn't stop Courtney and Christopher from having another kid together. On September 23, 2017, Courtney gave birth to a little girl who she named Kalia Claire Noella McNabb. Kalia remained in the hospital for four days as she was a month premature, needed antibiotics, and only weighed five pounds. After her release, Kalia and Clarissa stayed for several days with Courtney. cousin, Megan Sorrels. However, Courtney never came to pick her kids back up. When the burden for caring for her cousin's kids as well as her own four became unsustainable for Megan, Courtney's father, Tim Bell, picked up the girls and took them into his home and wasn't happy because he knew that his daughter

Starting point is 00:07:37 was on a bender. That breaking bad substance had pretty much taken over their lives. But there was an incident the same day regarding a car that prompted a 911 call from Courtney. You see, Tim had bought a PT cruiser that he allowed Courtney to use to get around, and he had prepaid about $600 worth of insurance for her. After Courtney essentially abandoned her two-year-old and a newborn with her cousin, he and his parents repossessed the car with the kids in tow. This caused Christopher to fly into a rage and caused both Courtney and Tim to make separate calls to the police. house. My dad and my grandparents came to my house. They had my little girl in the car. I took my little

Starting point is 00:08:24 girl. They went to my cousin's house where my kids were and took my newborn that I just had and they took my car. Why did they do that? I said that they were taking my kids. Newton County, now warmer is your emergency? Can you sound of police out to my house at 65, a loud and draft, cousin in Georgia 3014. Yeah, 65 Loudoun Drive. What's going on there? Yes, ma'am. It's containing my grandchildren.

Starting point is 00:08:57 She left both her kids. They abandoned both their kids last night at my niece's house. The police is going to come out. Yeah, yeah, they're coming out there to you. They're out there right now. Eagle Point talking to them. And they're going to come over there and talk to you, okay? So you'll just wait right there, okay?

Starting point is 00:09:12 Okay. Thank you, bye-bye. Tim brought Clarissa and Colliea back to Courtney and Christopher on October 6th after she promised to clean her house up. According to Tim, Kalia was healthy, fed, and clean and had no injuries whatsoever when he left her with her parents.

Starting point is 00:09:29 Additionally, Tim noticed Christopher hiding behind a tree upon his arrival. Allegedly, the two did not get along at all. However, the kids probably should have stayed in their grandfather's care. That same night, Courtney's cousin, Craig Weatherford, visited the couple's trailer in order to use drugs with them.

Starting point is 00:09:46 If you've been watching her show over the last few weeks, we've ended up with an unintentional common theme. I'll let you take a guess what that might be. Now, according to Craig, he saw Kalia during the visit and noted that she looked fine and that she was sleeping soundly in a bassinet in the bedroom. Around 5 a.m. on October 7th, Courtney went to sleep on a couch in the living room

Starting point is 00:10:07 after being up with Kalia much of the night. Now, whether Kalia was really up crying or if Courtney was still up tweaking from the night before is up for debate. At 5.51 that same morning, Christopher was up and added a new profile picture to his Facebook account. Just a few hours later at 7.41 a.m., Christopher texted his friend Shane Kids, stating that he was wigging and tripping, in his own words, and needed to get out of the house. Shane was another friend that also used drugs the couple's trailer and claimed to have used there several times since Kalia had come home from the hospital.

Starting point is 00:10:42 According to Shane, wigging and tripping meant that Christopher Christopher was paranoid from using myth. An hour after his first text message, Christopher texted Shane again, stating that he could not find Kahlia. It should be also noted that between the hours of 10.30 p.m. on October 6th, and 9.42 a.m. on October 7th, while Christopher is claiming that he cannot find his baby.

Starting point is 00:11:06 He was texting back and forth with a woman he had met on the internet named Courtney Morris via Facebook Messenger. At 9.44 a.m., Christopher tried to call Courtney, However, she did not pick up. It's been alleged that Christopher often cheated on Courtney Bell, and it was not unusual for her to chase him down and confront the women he'd been stepping out with. I know two Courtney's in one case can be confusing.

Starting point is 00:11:29 However, this is the only time during the story that we're going to be discussing Courtney Morris. Christopher then joined Courtney, the mother of his children, on the couch and went to sleep for a very short period of time. As just after 10 a.m., Clarissa woke Christopher and Courtney after she two discovered that Kalia was missing. Now, mind you, Clarissa is two years old. It should also be noted that the couch where Christopher and Courtney were sleeping

Starting point is 00:11:55 was near two doors that let outside, and that those were the only ways in and out of the home. Courtney called her father, her aunt, and her friend Melissa Davis to ask if Kalia was with them. Now, Melissa walked over to the couple's home a few moments later and saw Christopher standing on the porch. According to Melissa, he repeated, stated, quote, they're going to think I did this, end quote.

Starting point is 00:12:20 She told him to calm down, but something didn't feel quite right. Courtney was calling out for Kalia and told Melissa that she thought that maybe her grandparents might have taken her. At 10.39 a.m., Courtney finally called 911 and reported that Kalia was missing. Melissa then saw Christopher leave the home and noted that he was not carrying anything when he left. I just woke up. My dog woke me up on the couch. I have a two-year-old, and I have a two-week-old.

Starting point is 00:12:53 My two-week-old is not in her sleeper. Her patsy's on the floor. She's not in her sleeper. She's not here. I've looked everywhere. I've looked under clothes and everything. What's your address name? 1-21-45.

Starting point is 00:13:07 Highway 36, lot 31. Yes. Lot 31. Do you think somebody took her, ma'am? my child said my two-year-old said she's gone and i hooked everyone in the house so i don't know another possibility so many old is she ma'am two weeks old several officers arrived on the scene a few minutes later and met with a mother she told the officers that calia was missing and repeated that she had last seen her at approximately five in the morning she also noted that christopher told her that he received a text from his father at nine 30 a m and that at the time

Starting point is 00:13:47 both kids were okay. Courtney stated that a little before 10.30 a.m., Clarissa woke her and Christopher, saying that Kalia was gone. She also noted that Christopher had left and walked toward Highway 36 to look for their daughter. Please keep in mind that Kalia is a newborn. She couldn't have gotten up and walked off on her own, and the fact that Courtney keeps calling out for Kalia is kind of bizarre. The owner of the mobile home park and officers at the scene noted that there were no signs of force entry to the home, which included a window near Kalia's bassinet in the master bedroom. There was also no blood or any other signs of trauma in the bedroom or anywhere else in the home. One officer testified that Courtney was adamant that she did not suspect that anybody would

Starting point is 00:14:32 come into the home and take Kalia. A crime scene investigator noted that given the lack of signs of forced entry on the doors in the window of the home, it did not appear to be plausible that somebody had broken in and kidnapped Kalia. About a half hour after the officers arrived, Christopher approached the home from the direction of Highway 36. Now, it was raining at the time, and according to those on the scene, he was sweaty, wet, muddy, and he had green stuff on him that suggested that he might be coming out of the woods. His demeanor was described as fidgety, shady, and extremely nervous. Christopher showed one of the officers where he had been looking in the woods for Kalia,

Starting point is 00:15:11 but never explained why he was looking for her there. An officer noted that Christopher had a flashlight, which the father claimed to have been using to find her. However, according to the responding officers, the son had been up since around 7.40 a.m. that day. A few minutes later, investigator Jeff Alexander arrived on the scene and spoke with the parents inside of their trailer, after which he directed a search for Kalia in the wooded area

Starting point is 00:15:36 where Christopher told deputies that he had traveled. He noted that he found it very odd that Christopher, had gone to search for her there. He also noted that the sheriff's office would not have focused its search in the woods had officers not learned that Christopher had gone out there. Another investigator named Wade Freeman, who also assisted the investigation, learned that there were several theories about where Kalia might be, including that Christopher's father, Courtney's grandparents, or a neighbor in the trailer park might have taken Kalia. Now, Investigator Freeman found no indication that any of those leads were viable.

Starting point is 00:16:10 Greg Weatherford, who you'll remember join the couple in their drug taking the night prior, denied that he broke into the couple's home and kidnapped Kalia. Courtney's father, Tim, denied going to the trailer park on the night of October 6 or the morning of October 7 to take Kalia from the couple, and noted that he would not have done so without calling to get permission first. Christopher and Courtney were taken to the Newton County Sheriff's Office for questioning, where Christopher was given Miranda warnings before being interviewed. According to Investigator Alexander, neither Christopher nor Courtney were under arrest at the time,

Starting point is 00:16:43 and the purpose of the interviews was to quickly gather information about the timeline of Kalia's disappearance. Investigator Alexander said at the time that they were considered persons of interest. In the interview, Christopher talked about some incidents earlier in the week involving the kids and Courtney's father Tim, the time that he had spent caring for and feeding Kalia, and also described his relationship with Courtney's family, which are arguably his family too being first cousins and all. Now Christopher told Investigator Alexander that he fed Kalia between 3.30 and 5 a.m. on October 7th and then went to sleep. He said that he woke up at about 9.30 a.m. when his father texted him and that both girls were asleep in the bedroom at the time. Christopher then went back to sleep but was later awoken by his older daughter Clarissa, who was crying.

Starting point is 00:17:28 He then discovered that Kalia was not in the house. After helping Courtney search for Kalia in the home, he left and he started looking at. for her in the woods. Christopher then mentioned that a man named Matt Lester might want to retaliate against him. On September 13th, just 10 days prior to Kalia's birth, Shane Kidd and Matt Lester went to the couple's trailer to play video games and to do drugs. Matt testified that while he was there, Christopher and another man jumped on him and punched and kicked him.

Starting point is 00:17:57 Matt Lester managed to free himself and then ran out of the home. When questioned, Matt testified that he never broke into the couple's trailer. that he never went there after the day that Christopher attacked him. Shane Kidd testified that Christopher had no enemies who would have broken into his home and kidnapped his newborn daughter. According to Investigator Alexander, Christopher's timeline, particularly his statements about Kalea being fine at 9.30 and then missing by 1030, indicated that it was not a feasible scenario that Matt Lester had come into the home

Starting point is 00:18:28 and abducted Kalea. Christopher had told police that he felt somebody had put out a hit on him. But Investigator Alexander found it illogical that somebody would retaliate against a person's newborn when that person was asleep on a couch nearby. Additionally, Matt Lester was in jail at this time, and it should also be noted he recently passed away after stealing a truck and crashing it while out on parole. Investigator Alexander also noted that Tim Bell was ruled out as a suspect right away, and there was no evidence that Christopher or Courtney had significant assets that would have made them a target for a ransom. some demand. Investigator Alexander testified that Christopher's statements about the amount of time he had spent with Kalia since her birth could not be reconciled with other information that he had received

Starting point is 00:19:15 about how little the father had seen his own daughter and how much time Kalia had spent with other family members. During the interview, Christopher did not ask any questions about the efforts being made to locate his daughter. Both Christopher and Courtney were not charged and were escorted home by deputies after the interviews were concluded. The search for Kalia continued that afternoon and evening. A perimeter was set up for the wooded area around the trailer park, and K-9 units were brought out to the scene. The dogs were allowed to sniff some of Kalia's clothing

Starting point is 00:19:45 and then attempted to track her through a trail in the woods and across Henderson Mill Road into an area where logging had been taken place. The dogs were not able to locate Kalia in the search. Around 9 p.m. that night, the search was suspended for the evening. On the morning of October 8th, both Christopher and Courtney, as well as Pamela Hamby, prepared to appear on television for a press conference. Now, you'll recall from earlier that Pamela is Courtney's biological mother and Christopher's aunt. During this time, the search for Kalia had resumed. A neighbor who had joined the search efforts came across a log that was sitting over a hole in the ground that looked unusual and out of place.

Starting point is 00:20:24 Under the log, there was a pile of sticks. The neighbor saw a black drawstring, and when she pulled on it, she saw a blue Nike drawstring bag. At that point, the neighbor asked someone with her to alert the police. Deputy Timothy Dickerson was participating in the search near Henderson Mill Road, and he responded to where the bag had been located. It appeared to be wet from the recent rain, but Deputy Dickerson did not think that the bag appeared to have been there very long. Investigator Mickey Kitchens arrived on the scene a few minutes later,

Starting point is 00:20:55 and he and Deputy Dickerson opened the bag. They removed several articles of men's clothing, which were later determined to belong to Christopher McNabb. Deputy Dickerson and Investigator Kitchens then saw the top of an infant's head in an ear beneath a blanket. Inside of the bag was the body of Kalea McNabb. It has been also noted that a stash of drug paraphernalia

Starting point is 00:21:16 was located near where poor Kahlia was found. You might be wondering how did the canine unit not pick up Kahlia's scent when she was found so close of the home. This was due to Kalia's small size, the fact that she was carried, and the fact that she was wrapped in clothing inside of a bag. All of these factors would have made it harder for a dog to track her scent. Kim Weatherford, who was Courtney's aunt and Craig's mother, learned from her husband that Kalia's body had been found, and so she called her niece to tell her what had happened. At the time, Courtney was in a vehicle with Christopher, her mother, and two other people. They were

Starting point is 00:21:51 returning to the trailer for an interview with the media. After Kim, told Courtney that Kalia had been found, Pamela Hamby told Christopher to run. Pamela, who was Courtney's mom and Christopher's aunt, later testified that she told Christopher to get out of the car because she worried that people would believe that he killed Kalia. Christopher stated that he was worried that if Kalia was found near their home, people would think he and Courtney had something to do with it. When the car stopped at a red light, Christopher said, they are going to think it's me, and so he jumped out of the car. A few minutes later, Courtney, Pam, and the others arrived at the trailer park without Christopher. An officer asked Courtney if she was missing a backpack. She replied that

Starting point is 00:22:33 Christopher had a bag that she had not seen in a couple days. She described the bag as a Nike drawstring bag that was blue on one side with a red emblem and red on the other side with a blue emblem. She said Christopher kept the bag with him all of the time and carried his clothes in it, but that she had not seen it in a couple days. Courtney then advised the officer that that when she learned that Kalia had been found, Christopher jumped out of the car and said, they are going to blame me for it and ran away. The officer then issued a lookout for the father.

Starting point is 00:23:02 Investigator Alexander, who directed the search for Kalia and now Christopher, noted that this raised their level of suspicion, as, in their words, innocent people don't run. Christopher entered a Chevron gas station on Highway 36 later that afternoon. According to cashier Julie Hannah, Christopher looked wet and nasty. He told her that he had gotten

Starting point is 00:23:23 out of the car when he learned Kalia had been found and that he had been running because the cops were on his trail. Christopher, who was acting hyperactive, told the cashier that he did not do it. The cashier called 911 and asked a customer to not leave her alone with Christopher. According to the customer, Christopher alleged that he had been in the woods for two days. But this wasn't the only 911 call placed. In fact, there were three. You can't have a one with that just severe emergency. That guy that his baby was found dead is in the Chevron on 36. Okay.

Starting point is 00:23:57 Do you still have eyes on him? Yes. Okay. Hold on one second. I know they're on the way. All right. Is he still, is he down, is he running? Hello?

Starting point is 00:24:10 Newton County, number one, where's your emergency? Yes, the guy y'all are looking for, he's in the store right here at 36. We have a deputy that's in the area. Do you see our deputy? Yeah, there's two or three. Right. Okay, all right. If you'll just, yeah, just let them check it out.

Starting point is 00:24:26 Well, there he is. There he is. They got them. Yeah. Newton County 911. One, let's address of the emergency. Um, Highway 36. I'm at the Food Mart, the Chevron Food Mart.

Starting point is 00:24:40 The guy that his daughter was found or whatever this morning is walking up the road up here. There's a bunch of people in the gas station right now. and likely everybody in there saw him. Yeah, we've gotten actually several calls about it. Show me your hi. Show me higher. You know? An officer responded to the 911 call, found Christopher near the gas station, and arrested him.

Starting point is 00:25:02 When he was found he was soaking wet, had grass and leaves in his clothes, and appeared to have been in a wooded area. Following his arrest, Christopher was again advised of his Miranda rights and interviewed. In that interview, he said that when Kim Weatherford called Courtney to tell her that Kalia had been fed, Kim repeatedly accused him of killing Kalia and that he had jumped out of the car because he was scared and did not want to go back to the trailer. He also admitted to using drugs the night before Kalia disappeared, but denied that he used his Facebook account after he checked on his daughters at 9.30 in the morning. The medical examiner performed an autopsy on Kalia the next day. Under a blue blanket, Kalia's body was wrapped in a gray sleeveless adult t-shirt. The blanket had stains on it that appeared to be blood.

Starting point is 00:25:46 and there were leaves and other debris inside the bag in which she had been found, including between her body and the T-shirt. The medical examiner noted several injuries to Kalea's face and head, including bruises, multiple fractured bones, an indentation in her skull, and significant brain damage. These injuries were closed head injuries, so that means they would not have resulted in significant blood splatter. Kalia had suffered a cut just below her eye

Starting point is 00:26:15 that may have been caused by, a sharp object. Kleea also suffered blunt force injuries to her mouth that caused her deciduous teeth to penetrate her gums. The medical examiner testified that these injuries were likely caused by a huge amount of impact to the head that resulted in all the fractures in the injuries to Kalea's mouth. The injuries to Kalea's cheek and mouth may have resulted in the bleeding observed on the blanket. For those of you who aren't aware, deciduous teeth are your baby teeth.

Starting point is 00:26:44 Kalea was a newborn baby. Now, all babies are different, but usually your baby teeth do not start to come out until you're around six months old. This means that Kalia was beaten so badly that her baby teeth, which were still up in her skull, went through her gums and cut up her cheeks. She was only 15 days old. The medical examiner determined that all of Kalia's injuries were suffered all at once and that she would have died relatively quickly. She testified that the injuries might have been caused by a situation.

Starting point is 00:27:16 series of blows with an object or a crushing injury, such as stomping her head against a hard surface or a large object falling on her head. The medical examiner discounted the possibility that a television or another heavy object would have fallen on Kalia while she was asleep on the bed. She noted that the softness of the bed would have cushioned Kalia's head against the blow of the falling object and that these types of injuries that she suffered were more common when a crushing blow caused the head to be pressed firmly against a hard surface. She also did. She also did, testified that the presence of leaves around Kalia's body might indicate that she was wrapped in the shirt while she was in the wooded area. The cause of Kalia's death was blunt impact injury to the head,

Starting point is 00:27:56 and the manner of death was homicide. Investigator Alexander, who had been present at the autopsy, testified that, based on his experience, Kalia's death was definitely not accidental. On Wednesday, October 11, 2017, Christopher was charged with malice homicide, felony homicide, aggravated battery and concealing a death. According to his arrest warrants, Christopher, quote, did strike the victim with an unknown object. This action did cause the victim's skull

Starting point is 00:28:27 to be seriously disfigured and damaged beyond repair, end quote. On December 13th, 2017, Christopher asked to speak with Investigator Alexander. He was brought to an interview room and again read his Miranda rights. In that interview, he suggested that Shane Kid killed Kalia. He also attributed Kalia's death to his use of muth and the people he allowed in his home to use drugs. In this same interview, he also admitted that he hit Courtney a week or two before Kalia was born,

Starting point is 00:28:58 which resulted in a black eye. Investigator Alexander followed up on other tips and rumors that were circulating in the community about the crime, including that Shane Kidd had killed Kalia. However, he found no truth to any of those rumors, and he had not found anyone with a motive to abduct or kill baby kids. Kaliah. Soon, Courtney, too, was arrested for her role in Kalea's death on January 1st, 2018. Although the courts believed that Christopher was indeed the person responsible for Kalea's death, Courtney was negligent in causing it due to her rampant substance use, and that her actions

Starting point is 00:29:31 contributed to the death of her newborn daughter. District Attorney Lelah Zahn stated the following with regards to Kalea. Quote, she was a gift to Courtney Bell and Christopher McNabb. That child was doomed the moment they left. that hospital. They took pure innocence and brought that child into a life of hell, end quote. And with regards to Christopher, she went on to state, quote, all this fake crying and fake tears he did during the interviews about how much he loved his children and that he did it in the courtroom are a joke, end quote. Christopher was found guilty of malice homicide, felony homicide, homicide in

Starting point is 00:30:11 second degree, aggravated battery, cruelty to a minor in the first degree, cruelty to a minor in the second degree, and concealing the death of another person. He's currently being held at the Hay State Prison serving life without the possibility of parole. After the sentence was delivered, Christopher responded, I would never do this. I'm innocent. You claim your innocence. So you tell me what sentence the man or woman that you claimed did this should receive? If you ever find out who did them, they deserve to be under the jail. Okay. So they ought to get the maximum sentence? Most definitely.

Starting point is 00:30:46 Okay. On the crime of malice murder, I sent you to life in confinement without parole. On considering the death of another, I sent you to 10 years of confinement consecutive or after. Count one. Do you understand each of your sentences? Yes, sir. Courtney was convicted of second degree homicide, second degree cruelty to a minor, and contributing to the dependency of a minor. At sentencing, she acknowledged that her use of substances was a sickness in state. I try to be a good mama. I love my babies. However, her statement was countered by Judge John Ott who said...

Starting point is 00:31:20 And you chose the amphetamine and McName over a baby. It's a sickness, but I tried to be a good mama. I love my babies. The problem, Ms. McNabb, is that, like most criminals, you have this version of what a good mama is, that is so far from the norm that, you know, you can go anywhere in this county, talk to anybody who's watching this and say,

Starting point is 00:31:50 is it a good mama who doesn't even care about her 14-year-old baby, put them with a cousin. I've known of instances where mommas won't even let in the first couple of weeks of a child's life. People around the child for fear that the child's immune system hadn't been built up and they don't want germs brought into the child. They go to that extent. You went just the exact opposite direction.

Starting point is 00:32:12 And there's just no excuse for that. On count, well, let's talk about this. Count two, merges with Count one. Yes, Judge. What's the thought about count three? On count one, I've sent you with 30 years, with the first 15 years to be served in confinement in the state penitentiary of the main time on probation.

Starting point is 00:32:32 On count three, I'm going to send you to 10 years in confinement and the run at the same time as count one. Do you understand your two sentences? Let the record reflect she's nodding her head, slightly yes. So justice is served now, right? Depends on who you ask. The Court of Appeals of Georgia overturned Courtney Bell's homicide convictions, reasoning that the evidence was insufficient for a jury to find her guilty of second-degree homicide and second-degree cruelty to a minor. The three-judge panel, however, upheld Courtney's conviction on the felony charge of contributing to the dependency

Starting point is 00:33:06 of a minor. She's currently being held at the Pulaski State Prison, which lists her maximum possible release date as January 5, 233. She is eligible for parole. Courtney currently has a profile listed on a prison single site called caged ladies.com. Her ad reads as follows. Hey there, my name is Courtney Bell. I'm 29 years old, 5 foot 5 in 180 pounds, with long hair down to my waist and beautiful blue eyes. I'm a down-to-earth, lovable, spur-of-the-moment type of woman who's also open to all genders, and enjoy surprises to keep things on the edge. I've been imprisoned for five years now, but was recently granted an appeal, so I'm hopeful I'll be given an early release date soon, so I can return home and start living my life again, but with more intention. In the meantime, I'm in search of that

Starting point is 00:33:55 special someone who like to become a friend and companion to me while I finish out these trying times, and hopefully we can bring each other some happiness and excitement along the way. I'm definitely in search of comfort and understanding from someone compassionate enough towards my situation and eager to pursue the possibilities of the future that's ahead but not known yet. So what do you think about all this? Like many things in this case, there's a ton to unpack and so many unanswered questions. There are a couple theories out there in the true crime community about Courtney, including that she had full knowledge about what Christopher was going to do to Collia, and even a theory

Starting point is 00:34:32 that she set Christopher up. Do you feel she's fully responsible for the circumstances surrounding her daughter's death? It should be noted that Courtney is a battered woman. That is a fact. You can see that from the police body camp footage. She's all bruised up. Also, there were multiple reports of Christopher attacking her, and he readily admits to having done so multiple times during his court hearing.

Starting point is 00:34:56 Some folks have commented that a drug treatment center would be a better place for Courtney to get sober and learn the skills necessary to make her a more productive member of society when she's released in 23. Do you agree with this, or do you think Courtney was to be able to? tired of being beaten, cheated on, and set Christopher up. Let us know in the comments section down below.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Caliyah McNabb

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