Honk News (York County, SC) – A 31-year-old man from South Carolina has been sentenced to over ten years in prison for assisting his girlfriend in concealing the tragic death of her 4-year-old daughter with special needs, whose body was discovered beaten and hidden in a dresser drawer nearly five years ago.
On Thursday, Judge Eugene C. Griffith Jr. of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court sentenced Audrevious Jarrell Williams to 12 years in a state correctional facility for his involvement in the 2020 murder of India Heavenly Lacey Martin, according to court records.
Williams faced charges of murder and homicide by child abuse related to the tragic death of the preschooler. He struck a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to plead guilty to a single count of aiding and abetting homicide by child abuse. In return, he will testify against India’s mother, Jackleen Mullen, during her murder trial, leading to the dismissal of more severe charges.
A jury ultimately determined that Mullen was guilty of one count of homicide by child abuse and one count of aiding and abetting homicide by child abuse. She was found not guilty of the murder charge.
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Griffith then imposed a sentence of 30 years for the murder charge and an additional 10 years for the aiding and abetting charge, with both sentences to be served concurrently. She must fulfill a minimum of 85% of her sentence as mandated by legal requirements.
Senior solicitors John Anthony and Erin Joyner allegedly urged Griffith to impose the maximum 20-year sentence permitted by law, while Williams’ defense attorney, Geoff Dunn, contended that his client “accepted responsibility for his part in this unfortunate situation.”
Williams received recognition for having served 931 days.
According to earlier reports, authorities on May 26, 2020, interrogated Williams and Mullen regarding India’s location during a welfare check at the residence they shared. Mullen informed the officers that her daughter was with a relative named Cindy in North Carolina; however, the grim reality was that the child’s body was concealed in a dresser drawer in an upstairs bedroom.
In a follow-up search of the residence, authorities uncovered the shocking find of India’s remains.
Footage from a body camera worn by police was presented in court, capturing the encounter between an officer and Mullen prior to the discovery of India’s body.
Mullen’s parole eligibility is set for July 2047.