Teresa Ann Black murder trial: Jury selection underway in heart-wrenching cold case of ‘John Clifton Doe’
Mom on trial for murder of 6-year-old son
Teresa Ann Black, the mother of a 6-year-old boy found murdered 25 years ago is expected to stand trial in DeKalb County. Jury selection got underway Tuesday morning in the William Hamilton murder trial. Authorities arrested Black in 2022 after authorities got a major break in the case.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Jury selection began on Tuesday in the long-awaited trial of Teresa Ann Black, who stands accused of the murder of her son, 6-year-old William Dashawn Hamilton, over two decades ago. The trial marks the culmination of a cold case investigation that persisted for years before Black's arrest.
Hamilton's lifeless body was discovered in a DeKalb County cemetery in 1999, a mystery that has remained unsolved for 25 years. Referred to as "John Clifton Doe" during the investigation, the boy's identity remained elusive until 2019, when a facial reconstruction led to a breakthrough.
Former FOX 5 reporter Angeline Hartmann, who initially reported on the discovery of the boy's remains, played a crucial role in unearthing his identity. Hartmann later became the communications director for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
It was a tip to that organization from Ava in North Carolina, recognizing the boy as her former neighbor, which ultimately led to Black's arrest in Phoenix, Arizona. Ava recalled Black's return to North Carolina without her son, unable to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding his whereabouts.
"On June 28th, 2022, a DeKalb County grand jury returned an indictment against Black on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, cruelty to children, and concealing the death of another," stated Sherry Boston, DeKalb County District Attorney.
Hartmann emphasized the significance of perseverance in cold case investigations, stating, "This case is a prime example of what can happen when somebody has a gut feeling and stays with it. We were looking for his identity; she was looking for him. We were on parallel paths and didn't meet up until now."