A 31-year-old Georgia mother, Brittany Nicole Hall, will spend the rest of her life for the 2021 murder of Amari, her 8-year-old daughter. Hall had placed toilet paper inside Amari’s mouth and then searched for “Lakes near me” before disposing of her body in a wooded area.
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The Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office announced on September 24 that Hall pleaded guilty to felony murder, 11 counts of cruelty to children, concealing the death of another, and making false statements. A judge sentenced her to life in prison.
“This mother failed to protect her children and joined in the abuse,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “This ended tragically. We continue to pray that her siblings can heal from the abuse they endured and that this plea brings closure to them and their extended family.”
Back on November 19, 2021, Brittany Nicole Hall and her girlfriend, Celeste Owens, reported Amari missing. The couple lived at the time with Hall’s three children in a hotel room. They initially told police officers that they had woken up to find the 8-year-old girl missing.
However, police later learned that the women were not telling the truth.
Disturbing Searches, Discoveries
Authorities observed multiple bruises and injuries on Amari’s siblings, and investigators found troubling searches on Owen’s phone. These searches included “What do do when a child just doesn’t listen,” “How do sewers on the streets work,” “How do I report someone missing,” and “Lakes near me,” among other searches.
Then, video footage obtained via a “nanny-cam” shocked investigators as it showed the women beating the children.
Further surveillance footage showed Owens renting a U-Haul van and driving it to DeKalb County. There, authorities were able to recover Amari’s body in a wooded area.
While in court, Amari’s sister, now 9, said that her mother had placed toilet paper inside Amari’s mouth. This was done so she “wouldn’t wake up,” Fox 5 reported at the time.
In December 2024, Celeste Owens was found guilty of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, 11 counts of cruelty to children, making a false statement, and concealing the death of another. She was sentenced to life in prison plus 235 consecutive years without the possibility of parole.