A Georgia man allegedly “violently squeezed” his daughter to death, then tried to explain her injuries as the result of the two of them “playing” together, telling authorities he had been “tossing her in the air and catching her.”
Khaliq Woods, 29, was convicted of felony murder, aggravated battery, and first-degree child cruelty for the 2019 death of his infant daughter, Kamila Woods, in their Duluth home, according to a statement from the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office released on Tuesday.
The press release detailed that Woods was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Jurors took 10 hours to deliberate before returning a guilty verdict.
Prosecutors explained that Woods, who was 23 at the time, brought Kamila to Northside Duluth Medical Center on the morning of November 30, 2019, where she was pronounced dead.
According to the DA’s office, Kamila’s mother had left her with Woods the day before. Woods claimed to have been playing with the baby, tossing her in the air and catching her. He said that during one of the catches, he felt something wrong with the baby’s side and heard wheezing. He put her to bed around 10 p.m. and checked on her again at 2 a.m.
Woods told police that Kamila hadn’t moved from her position and was refusing a bottle or pacifier. He claimed to have checked on her again at around 6 a.m. before ordering a ride-share to take her to the hospital.
A search of Woods’ phone revealed that he had searched for “symptoms of broken ribs in children” at least nine times around 2 a.m.
The autopsy revealed that Kamila had multiple rib fractures, a lacerated liver, and bleeding and swelling in her brain. Evidence presented during the trial showed that her injuries were consistent with being violently squeezed and shaken.
DA Austin-Gatson expressed hopes that the trial’s outcome would help Kamila’s family begin to heal.