DECATUR, Ga. – A mother from Georgia has been convicted for concealing the remains of her 6-year-old son, whose badly decomposed body was discovered in 1999. The case remained unsolved for 23 years until facial reconstruction technology helped identify the boy.
Teresa Ann Bailey Black, 46, was found guilty of concealing the death of her son, William DaShawn Hamilton, according to a news release from the Dekalb County District Attorney’s Office. Black was acquitted of felony murder, cruelty to children, and aggravated assault, but she was sentenced to the state’s maximum of 10 years in prison for the charge of concealing the death of another.
During the sentencing, Judge Stacey Hydrick expressed her dismay, stating, “As a mother, I cannot fathom how you could leave your child in the woods to rot. There are so many other options, and it did not have to end this way. But your choices in leaving William’s body in the woods, never reported him missing and lying about his existence for over 20 years are not only appalling but also resulted in the complete destruction of any evidence that could have determined what happened. We’re left here still with no answers. You are the only one who knows what happened.”
The jury faced emotional turmoil as they made their decision. Juror Nathan Mittleman expressed that they all wanted to see things go differently, but ultimately had to follow the law.
DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston voiced her disappointment with the verdict, stating, “We still believe that she is responsible for William’s death.” The case went cold for years until a lifelike facial reconstruction of the boy was released in 2019, which led to someone identifying him and linking Black to the remains with DNA evidence.
Black initially expressed surprise at her son’s death but later admitted to being present when he died and leaving his body in the wooded area where it was found. She claimed that her son had been sick for days before his death, but she did not seek medical attention. Tests of muscle tissue revealed the presence of diphenhydramine and acetaminophen in the boy’s system at the time of his death.
The case dating back to 1999 was reopened in 2022, leading to Black’s arrest, extradition from Arizona, and subsequent indictment for her involvement in her son’s death. This conviction serves as a tragic and harrowing example of justice being served after many years of uncertainty.