By An indictment against a former Georgia pageant winner accused of murdering an 18-month-old boy reveals disturbing allegations about what authorities believe happened.
Trinity Poague, 18, was arrested on several charges, including murder and battery, in January in connection with the killing of Jaxton Drew. The child, whose legal name is Romeo Angeles, was identified as “Jaxton Drew Williams” by his father at the hospital, WLBT reported at the time. (The child is referred to as Jaxton Dru, Jaxton Drew, or Jaxton Williams across different reports, including a GoFundMe that was set up in his honor after the killing.).
The Georgia Southwestern State University Police Department requested the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) to investigate Jaxton’s death after the boy was rushed to a hospital in Americus, Ga., the bureau said in a statement at the time. Jaxton later died at the hospital. Poague had been a student at the school.
In an indictment released last month, Sumter County authorities alleged that Poague’s alleged abuse caused “serious disfigurement to his liver,” rendered his brain “useless” and left the boy with massive trauma to his head and torso.
Poague was indicted on one count of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated battery and one count of cruelty to children, according to the documents published by WDHN and WALB.
According to witnesses, Poague was in a romantic relationship with Jaxton’s father at the time of the killing, WRDW reported at the time.
On the day of Jaxton’s death, students in Poague’s college dorm heard a child crying for a long time until “everyone said that suddenly it just stopped,” Lilly Waterman, a student at the school, told WRDW.
“And no one knew what happened,” Waterman said.
Poague was released on $75,000 bond in February, per WDHN. She was stripped off her “Miss Donalsonville” title, the Early County News reported in March.
While she was allowed to leave the Americus area after her release, she was ordered to wear an ankle monitor throughout her time outside jail, per the outlet.
It wasn’t immediately clear if she has entered pleas or retained an attorney to speak on her behalf.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Culled from People.com
