Teresa Black trial: Mother found not guilty of son's murder
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A DeKalb County jury has found Teresa Black not guilty of the murder of her 6-year-old son.
After deliberating for hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, the jury reached a verdict, finding Black guilty of only concealing her son's death. The jury did not find Black guilty on five of the six counts, including murder, aggravated assault, and cruelty to children.
As the counts were read, the boy's father walked out of the court.
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Teresa Black cold case murder trial foreman speaks about verdict
Minutes after a DeKalb County jury found Teresa Black not guilty of murdering her 6-year-old son more than two decades ago, two jurors who made that decision spoke to FOX 5.
"The jury had a very hard task in this case," said Samuel Logan, the jury foreman.
Black faced six charges, including two counts of felony murder. The jury acquitted her on five of the six charges, but they did find her guilty of concealing her son’s death.
"The evidence was limited at best as far as physical evidence to support the charges that were brought upon Teresa Black by the state," Logan said.
Teresa Ann Black in court
"It was emotional for all of us," said Jonathan Mittleman, another juror on the case. "There was one lady who was crying in the jury room."
Jurors say they wanted to do more but their hands were tied.
"We all didn't want the outcome that we got, but we felt this was the fairest based on the law," Mittleman said.
Teresa Black verdict: DA ‘disappointed’
Prosecutors pushed hard during the trial to get a conviction, but Wednesday afternoon were disappointed by the jury’s verdict to acquit Black on the murder charges, but still found her guilty of concealing her son’s death.
DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston expressed her disappointment at the verdict in a press conference held Wednesday afternoon.
"While we respect the jury's verdict, I would be lying if I [said] we weren't disappointed. We still believe she is responsible for young William's death," Sherry said. "Teresa Bailey may have walked away and abandoned her son in 1999, but today I'm proud to say that the people in this room and in this community never did. Today, William DaShawn Hamilton has his name back, and he will never be forgotten."
DeKalb County prosecutors say cold cases are difficult to prove, but they will make sure she serves time in prison for what she was convicted of.
Teresa Black cold case murder trial
After more than 20 witnesses and four days of testimony, the prosecution rested its case on Monday.
Black's defense team called only one witness before wrapping up their case on Monday afternoon. During Tuesday's closing statements, prosecutors portrayed Black as a negligent mother who failed to provide medical care to her son when needed, allegedly leading to his death. They assert that she then lied and concealed his death for years.
"She discarded him as if he was trash and left him in a wooded area to slowly decompose," Senior DeKalb County Assistant District Attorney TyShawn Jackson said during closing arguments.
Black's defense team countered during their closing arguments, attempting to convince the jury that she wasn't a bad mother and that the evidence does not support the allegations against her. Black broke down in tears as her lawyer was delivering his closing arguments.
"She gave him some over the counter medicine because he didn’t feel good," said her defense attorney Ryan Bozarth.
Black’s defense team told jurors that she was too scared to call for help and kept hiding her son’s death because she was concerned. They said the evidence presented does not show she’s guilty.
"She didn't tell anyone about William for a day, that day became a week, a week became months and years, and it became 23 years," Bozarth said. "But she never forgot him, she never stopped regretting that mistake."
With the jury's decision, Black will be sentenced for one count on Friday. Sherry said her team would pursue prison time for Black.
Body of William Hamilton found in DeKalb County
On Feb. 26, 1999, a cemetery worker preparing for a funeral found the body of William Hamilton in a wooded area on Clifton's Springs Road. Investigators discovered someone had laid out his body. He had been there for months and his remains had weathered the elements. There were no signs of foul play.
For more than two decades, the boy's identity was unknown, until a facial reconstruction led to a tip that ended with Black's arrest.
Family members told the court that they had tried to see the boy multiple times and never knew he had died. Hamilton's biological father testified that he had been told by Black that the boy was staying with family in Atlanta and had received requests for child support years after his son had died.