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Daily Mirror
24-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Man who beat newborn baby to death and dumped her in bag chooses own prison sentence
Christopher McNabb and his partner, Courtney Marie Bell, reported their 15-day-old daughter, Caliyah, missing in October 2017, claiming the infant had been abducted When Christopher McNabb and his partner Courtney Marie Bell reported their 15-day-old daughter, Caliyah McNabb, missing in October 2017, they claimed the infant had been abducted. The truth, it would soon emerge, was worse than anyone could have possibly imagined. A search party later discovered the baby's body in nearby woods, wrapped in McNabb's t-shirt and hidden in his bag. An autopsy revealed that Caliyah had died from blunt-force trauma to the head. During the investigation, it also emerged that both McNabb and Bell, of Covington, Georgia, had been using crystal meth at the time of her death. Prosecutors argued that McNabb had fatally beaten his daughter. Child 'tests positive for STD' after nursery worker 'carried out sex attacks' Gran is only Brit on US death row after horrifying sinister murder of new mum In 2019, a Newton County jury convicted McNabb on multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, second-degree murder, aggravated battery, two counts of child cruelty, and concealing a death. Bell was convicted of second-degree murder and child cruelty. During her interrogation, Bell said: 'I am guilty because I did drugs, but I ain't never seen this comin'. That's my baby. I went to put her to sleep and I woke up and she was gone,' according to Fox 5 Atlanta. At his sentencing hearing, McNabb maintained his innocence, telling the judge: 'I'm innocent. I didn't do it. I've maintained that the whole time. "I just don't understand how you find somebody guilty of doing something to a 15-day-old baby, because there was no evidence whatsoever that proved anything about me putting my hands on those kids. "I was beat as a child and I don't believe in it. I would never do it.' He then effectively determined his own punishment after telling a judge that whoever was responsible for the death of his infant daughter deserved 'the maximum' sentence - moments before being sentenced to life without parole. As of 2025, McNabb remains incarcerated in Georgia, serving his life sentence. All of his appeals have been denied. Bell was initially sentenced to 30 years, with 15 years to serve in prison. However, some of her convictions were later overturned on appeal. The Court of Appeals of Georgia reversed the first two convictions – murder in the second degree, cruelty to children in the second degree – but upheld the third charge of felony contributing to the dependency of a minor. The appeals court determined that Bell's 'acts of neglect were not the sole proximate cause of the victim's death, the evidence played a substantial part in [the victim's] death and that death was a reasonably probable consequence of that neglect.' In 2023, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled in Bell v. The State that there was not sufficient evidence to prove that Bell was guilty of contributing to her daughter's death.
Daily Record
21-06-2025
- Daily Record
Parents of baby decapitated during birth betrayed after doctor posts graphic pics
"Graphic and grisly" footage from the baby's post-mortem was shared on Instagram. The parents of a baby who was tragically decapitated during childbirth have been awarded millions after a pathologist shared graphic footage of their son's post-mortem examination online. Jessica Ross and Treveon Taylor Sr. were unable to see their first child - whom they called Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr. - following his birth on July 10, 2023. He had become stuck behind her pelvic bone after several hours of labour. Medics did not tell the couple his head had been severed during the delivery, according to court documents. They later hired pathologist Dr Jackson Gates, after a funeral home informed them of the condition of their son's body. However, he shared a video of the baby's body on social media, showing "graphic and grisly detail of post-mortem examination" and his "decapitated, severed head", according to lawyers for the parents. Although he deleted the video from Instagram, he posted a further two just a few days later, all of which the couple said were shared without their permission, the Mirror reports. Cory Lynch, a lawyer for the couple told Fox 5 Atlanta: "For him to post these images and videos without permission was insane to us. "And especially with the nature of the posts... of the grisly details of the autopsy examination and also pictures of the child's head. It was baffling that he would do something like that." In September 2023, Ms Ross and Mr Taylor took legal action against Gates and the firm Gates Rapid Diagnostic Laboratory of Atlanta. The doctor did not respond, leaving the State Court in Fulton County, Georgia, to decide the case. The pathologist's lawyer Ira Livnat, who was hired after the court's decision, claimed this resulted in the case ending in favour of the parents, stating: "The plaintiffs got the absolute best case." On Wednesday, June 19, the court awarded Ms Ross and Mr Taylor $2.25million (£1.6million). Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. A statement from the couple's lawyer said: "While we are pleased that a jury punished Dr. Jackson Gates for his reprehensible behavior, nothing can ease the pain that the parents, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr., have experienced in losing their baby boy in such a horrific way." "After the decapitation of their baby, Gates poured salt into the couple's already deep wounds when he betrayed them. "This young couple trusted him with the remains of their precious baby. Gates, in turn, repaid this trust by posting horrific images of their child for the world to see." A lawyer for Gates said the doctor "deeply, deeply regrets any harm" but in a social media post that has since been removed, he called the outcome "a complete miscarriage of justice" declaring that he intended to appeal the decision. Gates said he still shares post-mortems online, according to Atlanta News First.
Daily Mirror
21-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Parents of baby decapitated during birth horrified as graphic photos published
Jessica Ross and Treveon Taylor Sr. filed a lawsuit against a pathologist who posted footage of their son's decapitated body on Instagram, and the couple has now been awarded millions The parents of a baby who was decapitated during childbirth have been awarded $2.25million after a doctor posted graphic footage of their son's autopsy on social media. Jessica Ross was due to give birth to her first child on July 10, 2023, but the baby got stuck behind her pelvic bone after being in labour for hours. Ms Ross and her partner Treveon Taylor Sr. did not get to see their son (whom they named Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr) and doctors and nurses did not tell them the child's head had been severed during efforts to deliver him, according to court documents. The couple then hired a pathologist to carry out an autopsy - but he posted a graphic video of the child's body online. Ms Ross hired pathologist Dr. Jackson Gates after a funeral home told the couple about the condition of his body. Gates posted a video of the child's dead body on his Instagram showing "graphic and grisly detail of postmortem examination" and his "decapitated, severed head", according to the couple's lawyers. The pathologist deleted this video but posted two more of the autopsy just a few days later and all of these videos were uploaded without the couple's consent, according to their complaint. A lawyer for the couple, Cory Lynch, told Fox 5 Atlanta: "For him to post these images and videos without permission was insane to us. "And especially with the nature of the posts... of the grisly details of the autopsy examination and also pictures of the child's head. It was baffling that he would do something like that." Ms Ross and Mr Taylor filed a lawsuit in September 2023 against Dr. Gates and Gates Rapid Diagnostic Laboratory of Atlanta. Dr. Gates did not respond to the lawsuit so this left the State Court in Fulton County, Georgia, to decide. Dr. Gates' lawyer Ira Livnat, who was hired after the court's decision, claimed this meant the case ended in favour of the couple, saying: "The plaintiffs got the absolute best case." The jury, on Wednesday, awarded Ms Ross and Mr Taylor $2.25million (£1.6million). The couple's attorney in a statement said: "While we are pleased that a jury punished Dr. Jackson Gates for his reprehensible behavior, nothing can ease the pain that the parents, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr., have experienced in losing their baby boy in such a horrific way." "After the decapitation of their baby, Gates poured salt into the couple's already deep wounds when he betrayed them. "This young couple trusted him with the remains of their precious baby. Gates, in turn, repaid this trust by posting horrific images of their child for the world to see." Dr. Gates' attorney said he "deeply, deeply regrets any harm" but in a Facebook post, that has since been deleted, the pathologist called the outcome "a complete miscarriage of justice" adding that he intended to file an appeal. Gates said he still pots autopsies on social media, according to Atlanta News First.
West Australian
20-06-2025
- West Australian
Rodney McWeay: Father held children in ‘house of horrors' convicted of child abuse, murder
WARNING: DISTURBING DETAILS A Georgia man has been found guilty of starving his four-year-old daughter to death in what prosecutors described as a 'house of horrors'. Rodney McWeay, 32, was convicted on June 19 of murdering his daughter, Treasure McWeay, just days before Christmas in 2023 in a case of sickening child abuse and neglect. A jury found him guilty of 14 felony charges, including malice murder, felony murder, child cruelty, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and contributing to the dependency of a minor. The case revealed a grim timeline of abuse. McWeay's three children had previously been removed from his custody in June 2023 due to unsafe living conditions, including mould and unsanitary environments, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. Prosecutors said he later abducted the children from their mother and confined them in his apartment in Atlanta, described in court as a 'house of horrors.' Investigators testified that the children were kept locked in separate rooms with no food or water. Surveillance cameras monitored their movements, and they were not allowed to leave their rooms, even to use the bathroom, per CBS affiliate WRDW . Neighbours had raised concerns. Quasheea Cokley, who lived nearby, reported hearing frequent screams and crying from the apartment and contacted Georgia's Division of Family & Children Services. Despite multiple attempts, state and law enforcement agencies were unable to make contact before Treasure's death. Police discovered the young girl unresponsive in McWeay's apartment in the days leading up to Christmas. She and her two brothers were transported to the hospital, where Treasure was later pronounced dead. A medical examiner determined she died of cardiac arrest caused by prolonged malnutrition. At just 24 pounds, her weight was well below the healthy range for a child her age. During the trial, McWeay's defence acknowledged he had made 'some wrong decisions' regarding the children's mother but claimed he never intended harm. McWeay had previously rejected a plea deal of 75 years. He now faces the possibility of multiple life sentences when sentenced in the next 30 days. Young people seeking support can phone beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or go to
Perth Now
20-06-2025
- Perth Now
Four-year-old dies of starvation in ‘house of horrors'
WARNING: DISTURBING DETAILS A Georgia man has been found guilty of starving his four-year-old daughter to death in what prosecutors described as a 'house of horrors'. Rodney McWeay, 32, was convicted on June 19 of murdering his daughter, Treasure McWeay, just days before Christmas in 2023 in a case of sickening child abuse and neglect. A jury found him guilty of 14 felony charges, including malice murder, felony murder, child cruelty, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and contributing to the dependency of a minor. The case revealed a grim timeline of abuse. McWeay's three children had previously been removed from his custody in June 2023 due to unsafe living conditions, including mould and unsanitary environments, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. Prosecutors said he later abducted the children from their mother and confined them in his apartment in Atlanta, described in court as a 'house of horrors.' Investigators testified that the children were kept locked in separate rooms with no food or water. Surveillance cameras monitored their movements, and they were not allowed to leave their rooms, even to use the bathroom, per CBS affiliate WRDW. Neighbours had raised concerns. Quasheea Cokley, who lived nearby, reported hearing frequent screams and crying from the apartment and contacted Georgia's Division of Family & Children Services. Despite multiple attempts, state and law enforcement agencies were unable to make contact before Treasure's death. Police discovered the young girl unresponsive in McWeay's apartment in the days leading up to Christmas. She and her two brothers were transported to the hospital, where Treasure was later pronounced dead. A medical examiner determined she died of cardiac arrest caused by prolonged malnutrition. At just 24 pounds, her weight was well below the healthy range for a child her age. During the trial, McWeay's defence acknowledged he had made 'some wrong decisions' regarding the children's mother but claimed he never intended harm. McWeay had previously rejected a plea deal of 75 years. He now faces the possibility of multiple life sentences when sentenced in the next 30 days. Young people seeking support can phone beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or go to
