Amari Hall's death: Police offer grim testimony in Celeste Owens trial

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Testimony resumed on Thursday in the trial of Celeste Owens, the Gwinnett County woman accused of murder and child cruelty in connection with the 2021 death of 8-year-old Amari Hall, the daughter of Owens' partner, Brittney Hall. Prosecutors allege Owens killed Amari, attempted to cover up the crime, and disposed of the child’s body.

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Grim testimony was presented by Kea Jimenez, a Gwinnett County crime scene investigator, who recounted the day Amari’s body was found. "She was located with three white-colored trash bags around her body," Jimenez testified. Amari was discovered in a wooded area near the Stone Mountain Freeway in DeKalb County, days after she was reported missing.

Detective Randy Blackburn testified about surveillance footage showing Owens near the extended-stay hotel where she was staying. When asked by prosecutors if he could identify Owens in the footage, Blackburn replied, "Yes, that is correct. She is standing right there waiting for the Uber or Lyft." Additional evidence introduced included photos and surveillance video showing Owens in possession of the U-Haul truck she allegedly used to transport and dispose of Amari's body.

Prosecutors contend that Owens struck Amari over the head, killing her, and then placed her body in trash bags. Investigators said Owens and Brittney Hall initially claimed that Amari had vanished from their hotel room. Hall, who reported her daughter missing in November 2021, later told police that Owens had killed the child and transported her body in the rented U-Haul to the wooded area where it was discovered.

Detectives suspected foul play early in the investigation. A homicide detective testified that 24 hours into the search for the missing child, the case transitioned from a missing persons investigation to a homicide. Detective Blackburn explained, "This was transitioning from a missing juvenile to a homicide investigation," after Special Victims Unit detectives reviewed Owens’ phone search history. The searches included phrases such as "what to do when a child doesn’t listen," "lakes near me," "how to report someone missing," and "how do sewers on the street work."

Amari’s younger sister also provided chilling testimony earlier in the trial, describing how their mother placed toilet paper in Amari’s mouth the night before she was found unresponsive. Prosecutors argue that Owens attempted to cover up the crime by disposing of the body and fabricating a story about Amari’s disappearance.

Testimony in Owens’ trial will continue Friday. Brittney Hall, who faces separate murder charges, will be tried at a later date in Gwinnett County.