The Misery Machine - The Case of Noah Tomlin

Starting point is 00:00:00 Noah A. Tomlin was born on May 2, 2017 in Hampton, Virginia to 32-year-old Julia Leanna Tomlin. Noah was a cute little boy with big blue eyes and wispy light-colored hair. Relatives described him as quiet, loving, and very cuddly. By the time Noah was two years old, Julia had 10 children, ranging from age 7 months to 15 years. Noah and his two siblings lived with their mother in the Bayside Mobile Home Village in the Buckrow Beach. neighborhood of Hampton. Noah's mother Julia was born on November 1st, 1984. She moved around a lot, but lived most of her life in Hampton Roads, which is a metropolitan area of Newport News, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and surrounding neighborhoods. This area takes its name from the body of water

Starting point is 00:00:48 flowing through it, also named Hampton Roads. Julia went to Norview High School but did not graduate and records show her education stopped after ninth grade. Julia had been living on Atlantic Avenue in Buckrow Beach since July 2018. Hampton Police had been called to the trailer many times, though records for these calls were not available to the public. Julia reportedly had problems with drugs and alcohol. She had also been diagnosed with bipolar, attention deficit, and post-traumatic stress disorders.

Starting point is 00:01:19 In 2009, Julia was charged with assault and battery of a family member. He said that Julia and a man she had children with were involved in an argument that turned physical when he tried to end. the relationship. The man had scratches and cuts on his face and arms, but four months later, the charges against Julia were dropped. We're into reports. In 2010, Julia had spent five months behind bars after she pled guilty to child neglect. She was charged in April of that year after CPS called Newport News Police to her apartment because her one-year-old daughter had bird marks on her back, shoulders, and arms in a pattern that looked like injuries from an electric stove

Starting point is 00:01:55 burner. Julia told police she had put her daughter on the stove to feed her, but wasn't she sure whether or not she had turned off the stove top. She said she was taking care of another child when her daughter fell in the stove. Julia said she cleaned the baby up and put her to bed. Either she or the girl's father, Justin Samuel Jones, sought medical attention for the burns. It was only after the burns turned into angry red welts and started to blister, the police were called four days later. Julie was also found guilty of resisting arrest in being drunk in public after an incident in October of 2010. Noah entered foster care shortly after he was born, though.

Starting point is 00:02:31 It is unclear specifically why that happened or when he was returned to Julia's care. Some of his other siblings were already in foster care after the hot stove incident. However, on June 24, 2019, Julia called police at 1136 a.m. to report that 2-year-old Noah was was missing. He'd last been seen when she put him to bed at 1 a.m. that morning. During a press conference, Hampton Police Chief Terry Salt said that Noah was believed to be wearing a diaper and a white and green pajama shirt. After police searched the mobile home park where Noah's family lived, they reached out to state and federal agencies for assistance. Chief Salt said, we're turning over every stone. We're going to do everything we can to bring this child home safely.

Starting point is 00:03:17 In the following days, police searched the area near Noah's home and eventually extended their search range well beyond what a told. toddler could walk on his own. Investigators said they were considering everything from Noah just walking away on his own to foul play or an abduction. A neighbor said she's used to seeing Julia around outside chasing her kids and that Noah in particular had gotten out a lot. Crew searched on ground by air with drones and in the water using divers since Noah's neighborhood was near a river in the ocean.

Starting point is 00:03:47 These checked trash dumpsters underneath buildings, in sheds, in the water, and in houses. They also checked ring doorbell cams for any sign of the toddler. After two days with no leads whatsoever, the mobile command post left the area. Wednesday, search crews began focusing on a landfill on Big Bethel Road about 10 miles from Noah's home, while other crews had extended the search beyond state lines. The landfill search was called a preliminary measure in the search for Noah. Hampton Police Sergeant Reginald Williams said, It's a step that we had planned from the very beginning that's going to help us,

Starting point is 00:04:22 check off some boxes throughout the investigation. Authorities said there was no specific information that had led them to the landfill, but rather past experiences with these kinds of searches. So let's pause for a moment and think about just how appalling it is that police know from past experience to automatically check the landfill in cases of missing children. Now, despite this bleak update, officials said they didn't want the public to give up hope that Noah would be found alive. Chief Salt said,

Starting point is 00:04:52 What we know today has not changed much since the first announcement. Still very hopeful that Noah will be found safely without harm and brought back home. He said that the Virginia Department of Emergency Management search team had been brought in, along with state and FBI investigators. They searched the same areas multiple times with different teams so that they would have different eyes checking for anything they might have missed. Chief Salt said, at the end of the day, it affects the police officers and the first responders as well.

Starting point is 00:05:21 It's the emotion in their face through all the dirt, the filth, the tiredness from searching landfills, and all the other stuff, the investigations that go on 24 hours a day, the fatigue that can set in. But nobody wants to drop it. They want to find Noah. On Thursday, June 27th, local news anchor Dan Kennedy of 13 News posted this update on his Facebook page. Statement from Noah's mother.

Starting point is 00:05:45 I wanted to share a brief statement that Noah Tomlin's mother texted me last night. This is the first time the public has heard from her. I'm working real hard with law enforcement to help find my baby. I can't have my location known or whereabouts of my other children for their safety. The Hampton Police Chief said the parents have been cooperating with the investigation. Their home in Buckrow was still taped off last night. In fact, our crew spotted crime scene technicians bringing bags of potential evidence from the home. Day four of the search begins this morning.

Starting point is 00:06:16 Stand by for updates. Julia also spoke to Channel 10 on your side via text. She said Noah can't walk well. He's possibly autistic. He loves everybody and is very affectionate. But she didn't share any other information. A prayer vigil was planned for the missing toddler that weekend. In the spot where the police mobile command center was originally located in Buckrow Beach.

Starting point is 00:06:39 Attendees were encouraged to wear green to honor little Noah while they prayed for his safe return. However, before that vigil could take place, the police made a sad announcement on Friday. During a news conference, Chief Salt said, tonight, our hearts and prayers continue to go out to the loved ones of Noah Tomlin and for Noah Tomlin. Unfortunately, to date, Noah has not been found. Based on the highly coordinated investigation, we believe him to be deceased. This leaves us a little bit speechless, but the search for Noah continues. We'll never give up hope. He went on to announce that they had arrested Noah's mother, Julia Tomlin, age 34, in connection with Noah's disappearance. He also said the authorities were intensifying their search efforts to find Noah with a more

Starting point is 00:07:27 specific focus. He said, we ask that everyone keep Noah and those that love him in your hearts, in your thoughts as our officers and agents continue their tireless efforts to find him. We all pray that we will still find him safe, but that's just not the way that it's pointing at this point. Julia's other children had been removed from her home with CPS involvement. A number of her other children had already been in the care of family members for some time. On Saturday morning, police confirmed that Julia was in custody at the Hampton City Jail and had been charged with three counts of felony child neglect. That evening, the candlelit vigil for Noah was held, only now with a less hopeful note.

Starting point is 00:08:10 About 100 people showed up to pray and demand justice for two-year-old Noah. Many people wore green or carried green balloons, the color that Noah was last seen wearing. Others wore shirts that said, Justice for Noah, or Where is Noah? One woman attending the vigil revealed that she had actually fostered Noah before he had been returned to his biological mother. Take a time.

Starting point is 00:08:34 You guys, a lot of people don't know me. I've been anonymous this whole week. Noah is my baby. I had a lady text me last night, the woman who brought him to me. And she told me that she refers to me as the mother of many. When I was 20 years old, I gave birth to my daughter. And I asked God, why can I never have any more babies?

Starting point is 00:09:06 I had another one. And his name is Noah. That baby never called me anything but mommy. I've tried to remain anonymous. I'm sorry. But if you heard the news channel with the caregiver who took care in Noah the one memory

Starting point is 00:09:26 thought care I've got of that baby is he crawled up on my couch the first night that I got him I'm sorry I was just pulling my oxygen and he looked at me and just smiled never seeing me a day in his life and I said no

Starting point is 00:09:45 we'll stay up all night long if you want to and we did blessed his little heart and blue eyes. You couldn't tell him no. Although I call him no-no. Because that's all he said was no-no. But he sat on the couch with me and held my hand. And he just grabbed my hand.

Starting point is 00:10:05 Like as if to say, I know I'm safe. This whole week has been, I don't want to tell hell there's a preacher here, but. It's all right. We all feel the same way. It's been awful, y'all. I just now came out of the house yesterday. because I miss that baby. I look at his port of crib.

Starting point is 00:10:27 I look around the house. I've got three grandchildren who never questioned who's this little white baby. Because of my grandbabies are biracial, they just took him into the fold. That's their little boy. My four-year-old granddaughter said, Ma, see Noah.

Starting point is 00:10:41 I said, where's Noah at? She said he's standing here at the TV with me. I've seen a lot of signs that Noah's probably not with us anymore. But I'm going to tell you, this and I don't say him this often. I know, and I rest assured that if he did go to heaven, that my daddy and my two brothers who are deceased have got him,

Starting point is 00:11:02 and they said, we got him until you get here. That baby couldn't walk. All he could do is crawl around the house. The Army couldn't crawl as good as that baby. But for the short time that we had him, he was loved. He was loved dearly. My daughter has been sick as a dog.

Starting point is 00:11:25 She's had to take off work this whole week. Thank God I don't work. All I've done is embrace my grandkids. Embrace any baby I can get. You got one. You can't take care of it. Bring it to me. If anybody had Noah,

Starting point is 00:11:40 bring him, drop him off in a crowd somewhere. He'll crawl up to you. He'll hug you. He'll kiss you. And he'll say, Mommy. You need to call Ma. That's what my grandkids call. me. Somebody knows how to get in touch the mom. Ma will get that baby. He don't have to have a

Starting point is 00:11:58 stitch clothes on. He don't have to have nothing. I don't have no money, but I've got a heart. And the one thing I want to say, and this has really bothering me, there's so many children in this world and in this country that are being neglected, that are being looked over, somebody has got to do something about CPS, not just CPS, but anybody, if you know, if you think that a child is being mistreated, if you notice something, anything, just the tiniest thing, it's better to say something, because your mouth is the best thing you've got. Julia made her first court appearance on July 1st. She appeared in a Hampton courtroom walking with a limp.

Starting point is 00:12:45 She told the judge that she was disabled and earned $771 a month. She said that she lived. her Buckrow Beach Mobile home with three other people, though she did not specify if these were adults or children. On July 3rd, 10 days after Noah's disappearance, the police announced that they had found a body that they believed belonged to the missing toddler. The body was found at the Hampton NASA steam plant,

Starting point is 00:13:08 a facility near the Weif Creek that incinerates waste to produce energy. Police officers searching through the garbage at the steam plant found the remains of a child at 8.50 a.m., though, a formal confirmation was still needed to, determine whether or not this body was Noah. The little boy had been stuffed inside a huggy's diaper box, which had been triple bagged before being tossed in the trash. Should be noted that investigators had sifted through more than two million pounds of garbage by hand during their search. Firefighters had to monitor carbon dioxide and methane

Starting point is 00:13:40 levels while officers searched and would call the officers back if the levels got too dangerous. Chief Salt described how city officers waited through the trash for days, saying, you're dealing with conditions that are high humidity, high temperature. In this case, at the steam plant, they're in a confined space. When you get into that and you smell the odors and you're in the midst of everything, and you realize what you're there for, and you're going through literally millions of pounds of garbage. He said that the search for the little boy took a toll on our community and our first responders. There are officers who are shedding tears. I was holding one of our employees in my arms this morning that was crying. It will take time for all involved to recover and heal.

Starting point is 00:14:22 Hampton Police Division released the staggering list of all of the organizations that made searching for NOAA possible, and they are. The Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue. Hampton Emergency Management. The Federal Bureau of Investigation. Virginia State Police. York County Sheriff's Office. Coquhawson Police and Fire Department. Norfolk Police Department, Newport News Police Department, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, NASA, Ice Customs and Border Patrol, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Virginia Port Authority Marine Incident Response Team, Tidewater Search and Rescue, Hampton Road's Incident Management Team, Chesapeake Fire Department, Hampton Public Works, Hampton Waste Management, and Hampton Parks and Recreation. It should be noted that very few missing people get the attention of even half of this list. In the following days, Noah's paternal grandmother, Cindy Jones, shared a post on a community Facebook page.

Starting point is 00:15:30 It read, I know everyone is wondering why Noah's father and family have stayed quiet throughout this past week of hellish speculation, conjecture, and innuendo. Nevertheless, we are now prepared to speak out and explain our position on why we have remained in the background until now. Additionally, before we relay our sentiments on the shocking and horrendous situation that two families find themselves entangled, everyone needs to remember that Noah had nine, yes, nine siblings that are also innocent victims. And it is because of the other nine children involved. We ask the public to take care with what they post on social media as the older children are privy to everything that is being posted. And it is severely upsetting, adding to the stress of them finding out their brother has died at the hand of their mother. Please have care and think before you post and ask yourself, would I want my child to read this if the tables returned?

Starting point is 00:16:21 We have chosen to remain silent until now because we have Julia Tomlin's three oldest children. We adopted them in 2011 after she signed away her parental rights after going to jail after being convicted of felony CA. We adopted the three older children who are grandchildren and who we fostered for six months prior to the adoption's finalization. There is also a set of twins, one of which was the victim of the stove burn. The twins found a new life and home with an unknown family.

Starting point is 00:16:48 There are also three more boys who all reside with their fathers. The baby is now in foster care and we pray that she finds a loving family. All in all, it is the nine other children that everyone should consider in the aftermath of the tragedy. Please be sensitive in what is said and or written. People can speculate, spew hatred and venom, or they can opt to send prayers and well wishes. Till the entire situation comes to light and the truth in its entirety comes out, please understand that the children are wounded and devastated. It was our true belief and hope beyond hope that Noah would be returned home safely

Starting point is 00:17:23 and that his disappearance was nothing more than a sickening prank that had gone awry. We sincerely thought that Julia had arranged to have someone hide Noah as a means of upsetting Noah's father and getting back at him for changing his plans of going to her house the morning of his return. Instead, he decided to come straight to see his parents and older three children. on his return to Virginia from California on Saturday, June 22nd. Noah's father had been residing in California for the past two years and did not find out about Julia's pregnancy until he had moved for work. We genuinely believed that Julia was vying for attention,

Starting point is 00:17:57 as it would not be the first time that Julia had caused drama and chaos for unseen slights. Unfortunately, our worst fears came to fruition, as we all found out this past Wednesday, July 3rd. There is much more of this story to be told, but, as I asked of you all, I must abide by our wishes and not post anything that would be hurtful to the children. I do want to say that our hearts are broken and the sadness is stifling. There is a cloud of sorrow over our home.

Starting point is 00:18:24 We pray that all who have sent love and support to us know that it has been a great comfort to our family to know that so many people care. Additionally, for those who have sent donations, we wish only to see Noah's siblings be the beneficiaries and recipients of the goodwill of the public, who has been surprised. so very generous. Thank you so very much, Cindy. On July 10th, Julia was transferred to the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth. Three days later, on July 13th, the Virginia Department of Forensic Science in the Medical Examiner's Office confirmed via DNA analysis that the remains found in the NASA steam plant belonged to Noah. A memorial for Noah had been created a rounded tree near his home

Starting point is 00:19:06 at Buckrow Beach. Teddy bears, flowers, toys, candles, and handers. written notes were placed around the tree to show love and support. However, just a few days after Noah's body was officially identified, the memorial tree caught fire and went up in flames. The local fire department did not believe that the fire was intentionally set, but rather a sad side effect of having lit candles placed near so many flammable objects in a windy location. Regardless, to have the memorial go from a beautiful tree to a charred mess was upsetting and heartbreaking for community members who were simply trying to show their love for little Noah. Noah's grandmother, Cindy Jones, said the police had released his remains to her family

Starting point is 00:19:51 and that they planned a private burial service for immediate family and first responders. A public memorial service was scheduled for July 27th in Buckrow. The family requested that memorial donations may be made to local social service agencies in the form of stuffed animals or toys for children during the holidays. Hampton police confirmed that the Jones family had been named Noah's legal next of kin. However, it was not clear for certain who Noah's biological father was. As Cindy Jones wrote in her Facebook post earlier, she believed her son Justin Jones is Noah's father.

Starting point is 00:20:27 Justin was not involved in Noah's life because he didn't know Julia was pregnant until he had moved to California, according to Cindy. He returned to Hampton on June 22nd, a few days after Noah's disappearance. He was arrested June 25th in charge with violating a probation and had since been in the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail. He had also been charged with a felony second offense for failure to register for the sex offender registry. He was required to register as a non-violent sex offender after he was found guilty of S.A. of a

Starting point is 00:20:57 girl who was 13 or 14 years old in 2008, according to court records. He was not sentenced to any jail time for the offense. Julie was denied Bond during her hearing on July 29, and then her preliminary hearing was pushed back to December to give the defense and prosecuting teams the time to review the medical examiner's report, which was soon due to be released. In October, Noah's biological father spoke with Channel 13 News. As we said before, Cindy Jones already identified her son, Justin Jones, as Noah's father. However, the news chose not to publicize his name or use his picture because of comments he had already received online. They stated that the person they interviewed has been confirmed through court records as the father of Noah. However, we were unable to determine for certain whether Justin Jones was confirmed as the father in these reports.

Starting point is 00:21:47 In any case, the North Carolina man interviewed said he didn't know he was Noah's biological father until it was too late. He said, I got people blaming me for his death, saying I should have been there. I should have done something. Well, how can I do something if I didn't know he was mine? When asked if things could have been different for Noah if he had known he was the father, he said, I know they would have been different. He suspected he was the boy's father back in 2017, but claims Julius said Noah was not his and to never contact her again. Then just weeks after Noah disappeared, he said a family member reached out because Noah looked like him.

Starting point is 00:22:21 However, he followed Julia's wishes and stayed away. Then, after the news of Noah's death, he decided to take a paternity test. He said, oh, I'm beyond angry. I would have taken full custody away from her because of her drug use. He said the drug use was the reason he never looked back after breaking up with Julia, but if he had known Noah was his son, he would have fought for him. He said, in my opinion, she should rot beneath the jail. On October 31st, Commonwealth's attorney Anton Bell announced that Julia was being formally charged with homicide and unlawful disposal of a body. A medical examiner had determined that Noah died from blunt force trauma and battered child syndrome.

Starting point is 00:23:02 The autopsy revealed Noah had multiple fractures, including to his skull, and that two severe skull fractures caused his death. There were also injuries to his body showing consistent violence. Noah's body was in such an advanced state of decomposition when his remains were found that only his liver and left leg were recognizable.

Starting point is 00:23:22 An anthropologist had to be brought in to help the medical examiner pieced together the remaining fragments of bones. Prosecuting attorney Bell said, The type of injury this child suffered was as if a child had fallen several stories. His abuse was of such a nature that his bones stopped growing. There was evidence of that. There was no question in my mind that this child was tortured.

Starting point is 00:23:50 Justice looks like Julia Tonlin being held fully accountable, and that's prison. She should never hold a baby again. Noah's remains also showed that he had several prior injuries that were significant and severe, including a fractured jawbone, a fractured rib cage, and signs of shaken baby syndrome. The medical examiner said Noah's growth had been stunted. Attorney Bell said, it was evident from the autopsy that he had stopped eating at some points, and that would have been consistent when a child who was in severe pain, and as a result of the severe pain, it would have been too painful for.

Starting point is 00:24:27 him to eat. Julia was also facing child neglect charges relating to her other two children in her home ages eight months and three years old. At Julia's preliminary hearing in December, 14 people testified against her. One of these was FBI Special Agent Liza Ludovico who interviewed her on June 28th five days before Noah's body was found. Julia told Agent Ludovico that on June 24th Noah had drowned and hit his head while in the bathtub that she attempted to give him seat. She then moved his body to the bed where she realized that he was dead. She later recanted the statement saying that she just said this to prove a point. Julia also said that during the interview that she packaged Noah in an empty diaper box and

Starting point is 00:25:11 wrapped it in trash bags. She then called a friend named Timothy Carter to throw the package away. Showed the agent that Tim did not know what was in this package. This interview was evidently what led investigators to focus their search on area landfills. Another witness named Brad Bailey told the judge that he was the first. father of one of Julia's other children, and that he had brought her drugs the night before she reported Noah missing. He said, she had called me the night before like 10 times that day, trying to get me to get her drugs. He stayed in the home for a while after giving her the drugs

Starting point is 00:25:41 in order to visit with his child. He testified that she was the only adult in the home, that he saw Noah in the living room with two of his siblings. Julia later confessed to FBI investigators that she did use drugs at night. Another witness named Brian Noel said that on the same day, there was some question whether he could be Noah's father. That evening, he brought his daughter to meet with Noah. He said when he asked Julia if he could see Noah, she told him he was asleep. He asked if there was any way he and his daughter could peep in Noah's room without waking him just to see him.

Starting point is 00:26:15 Again, Julia responded, well, he's asleep. Prosecutors believe Noah may have already been dead at this point. The officer who found Noah's remains also testified, stating that the sight and smell of the little body was so horrible that he had become overwhelmed and had to leave the scene. Other officers testified about the search process in the steam plant, describing how they cut open bags of trash and sifted through the contents by hand or with rakes. Julia's trial was supposed to begin in March of 2020, but was delayed when the defense team asked for a psychological evaluation. In July, a judge ruled her fit to stand trial, and her

Starting point is 00:26:51 new trial date was set for April of 2021. She was denied Bond, and was denied Bond, and would remain in custody until her trial. However, her trial was delayed again when new attorneys from the public defender's office were assigned to her case. When her new defense team asked for more time to review the evidence, the circuit court judge agreed with the prosecution that the defense was taking too long and dragging their feet. He ordered those attorneys off the case and appointed a new attorney. This switch further delayed Julius' trial. Unexpectedly, in December of 2021, Julia pled guilty as charged for the crime of second-degree homicide. She also pled guilty to one count of child neglect in concealing a dead body.

Starting point is 00:27:36 The other charges of child neglect would not go forward because of lack of case law. The sudden change in plea was not part of a plea arrangement, and prosecuting attorney Anton Bell had been prepared to go forward with a full jury trial the following month. However, when Julia suddenly wanted to enter a guilty plea, he had to accept it. During a court statement, Attorney Bell described again how Julia had initially said she put Noah to bed and when she woke up, he was gone. She then changed her story, saying she was high on drugs and left Noah unattended in a bathtub when he drowned. She told officials she put Noah's body inside a huggy's box, wrapped it in trash bags, and called a friend to bring cleaning supplies and to dispose of the bag. She insisted that her friend was unaware of the contents of the bag when he tossed it in.

Starting point is 00:28:26 in the dumpster across town. However, Attorney Bell said, even that story isn't the whole truth because we know with the autopsy results that Noah died from blunt force trauma in badder child syndrome, not drowning. Noah's body was beaten so badly. It was as if he had fallen from a multi-story building and his skull was cracked in half. Investigators had also found Noah's blood on the walls of his bedroom, as well as on sheets and a baby shirt that were found in the trash. Attorney Bell described the case as a pattern of CA that spiraled. When asked to describe Noah's remains in more detail, he did not get into specifics but said, Imagine a baby with no arms, no limbs, and only a few strands of hair from his head.

Starting point is 00:29:12 However, Julia's sister, Teresa, said that her sister is innocent and only pled guilty out of fear. Teresa claimed that on the morning of his death, Noah had fallen off of his bed and hit his head on a nearby toy chest. Teresa seemed frustrated that she wasn't able to testify on her sister's behalf during the trial, saying, she's so terrified because the whole nation is after her. I had to change my name for three months. I know the truth, and they wouldn't let me give it. On July 25th, 2022, Julia's sentencing hearing was held.

Starting point is 00:29:46 During the sentencing, her attorney told the judge his client had a hard upbringing and she turned to drugs at a young age. He said that she suffered violence from her own parents and from a boyfriend when she was a teen. He said that on the day Noah died, Julius said her memories are fuzzy and she isn't sure what happened because she was under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Prosecuting attorney Bell summarized the case saying, this child was beaten profusely. This child's body couldn't take it anymore. Death was a welcome friend to Noah because his body could not take anymore. The abuse was just so profound.

Starting point is 00:30:22 One of Julia's daughters took to the stand during the sentencing hearing. She asked the judge to give her mother the maximum penalty. She told the judge, my mother, Julia Tomlin, has never been fit to be a parent. She has only cared for herself and has never prioritized the needs for any of her children, even when she had claimed to be doing so. All of her children have been removed from her care and should have never been returned to her care. She also said that her brother Noah received the worst from her. In the two short years he lived, he had witnessed.

Starting point is 00:30:52 pure hate and cruelty from the woman who was supposed to love and protect him. Under Virginia law, the maximum sentence for second-degree homicide is 40 years. The maximum for felony child neglect is 10 years. The maximum for concealing a dead body is five years. Chief Judge Michael Gaten told Julia that he didn't know if he could live with himself if he did not issue the maximum amount of time allowed under the law. Therefore, he sentenced her to the harshest penalties, serve consecutively for a total of 55 years in prison.

Starting point is 00:31:24 She's currently held the Fluvana Correctional Center in Troy, Virginia. Noah's remains were cremated and interred at the Parkland Memorial Park in Hampton beneath a small granite marker adorned with a bronze teddy bear.

Starting point is 00:31:37 The makeshift memorial near his home in Buckrow Beach is gone, including the tree the memorial had formed around. Just a bare patch of ground shows where the living tree once stood,

Starting point is 00:31:47 now gone forever. Noah Tomlin was a sweet little boy with his whole life ahead of him. But just like the tree that once stood over his memorial, he too is gone forever.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Noah Tomlin

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