ATLANTA — A man has been convicted on all counts in the 2021 murder of a 9-month-old boy in Sandy Springs, according to a release from the Fulton County District Attorney's Office.
Last Wednesday, it took a jury 40 minutes for to return a guilty verdict for Dehaven Johnson, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said in the release.
Johnson was convicted on six counts including malice murder, felony murder, cruelty to children in the first degree and aggravated battery. The 30-year-old was sentenced by Judge Kelly Ellerbe to life without the possibility of parole, plus 40 years.
On the evening of March 31, 2021, Johnson had been babysitting 9-month-old Jelani Williams at his apartment off Willow Heights Drive. Johnson was a friend of the child's mother, Diasia Williams, and often referred to Jelani as his nephew, although they were not biologically related, the release stated.
Less than two hours after the infant's mother dropped Jelani off, she said she received messages from Johnson stating he found the 9-month-old unresponsive.
Jelani's mother asked Johnson to call 911 and the infant was taken to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, where he was pronounced dead.
Sandy Springs Police previously interviewed Johnson about what happened. Johnson told authorities the infant may have choked on his bottle while he briefly stepped away.
After investigating further, police said Johnson mentioned that Jelani fell down and that he may have "dropped" Jelani or he may have fallen from the couch.
An autopsy, performed the following day, revealed Jelani had died due to blunt force trauma to his chest and abdomen. The infant also had a traumatic brain injury and a leg fracture, the DA's Office added in the release.
A doctor with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta testified that Jelani's injuries "were consistent with non-accidental trauma." Jelani's injuries were also due to "multiple forces of impact" -- inconsistent with CPR, falling or choking, the release from the DA's Office added.
“My beautiful precious baby was taken away from me by a person I called a friend. This has been a huge eye opener," Williams said in the release. She said heaven gained an angel, adding that little Jelani finally received justice.
Willis added the mother's anguish sits heavy in her heart.
“This young mother deserved a respite from the daily challenges of motherhood to recharge and return to a happy and healthy baby,” Willis added. "I am keeping her and little Jelani in my prayers.”
