Mom Who Beat 7-Year-Old Daughter To Death Refused To Come To Court Sentencing

Two months after pleading guilty to manslaughter, Navasia Jones, the woman who beat her seven-year-old daughter, Julissia Batties, to death, decided not to appear in court for her sentencing hearing. This is not the first time Jones has pulled something similar, with Batties’s family accusing her of being scared to face the consequences of her actions.

Videos by Suggest

According to the New York Post, Jones was to face her daughter’s father and grandmother in court, as the pair had prepared victim impact statements to be read in front of the killer mom. However, after reportedly complaining about the press being present in the courtroom, Jones decided not to show up at all.

“She’s running away from what I have to say,” Julius Batties, Julissia’s father, said, as per the outlet. “She’s scared to face her daughter’s father after what she did. She needs to be dragged out and hear what we have to say.”

“This is her own little mind game of work in the system,” Batties added.

Julissia Batties’s Murder

Back in August 2021, Julissia Batties was found dead in Jones’s New York City apartment. Initially, Jones claimed that Batties had fallen and hit her head on a desk, as per the Post. However, in June 2022, Paul Fine Jr., Julissia’s half-brother, was charged with murder, assault, and sexual abuse in connection with the seven-year-old’s death.

Allegedly, Fine admitted to police at the time to punching Julissia Batties in the face a total of eight times while his mother, Jones, went to a store. Jones was also arrested at the time.

However, Fine’s statements were retracted. Navasia Jones pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Friday, March 14, 2025. As part of the plea deal, all Fine’s targets were dropped, with Jones accepting full responsibility for Julissia’s death. She agreed to a 15-year sentence, which both Julissia’s father and grandmother have criticized as too light.

‘We Need Closure’

Now, Bronx Judge Joseph McCormack stated that Navasia Jones would be forced to appear in court on June 16, as per the Post. Reportedly, Jones failed to appear in court in 2024, further extending the agony of a family wishing for this ordeal to be over.

“She’s playing the system,” Yolanda Davis, Julissia’s grandmother, said. “She said she’s overwhelmed. What about my granddaughter? She’s overwhelmed. How can you say that when you beat up my granddaughter and killed her?”