Man charged in child’s death

Published 9:26 am Wednesday, December 20, 2017

VALDOSTA — A 32-year-old man has been charged in the death of a 2-month-old baby.

According to authorities, Willie Hamilton has been taken into custody and faces charges of felony murder, cruelty to children and aggravated battery. 

The Valdosta Police Department said police responded to an emergency call for an unresponsive male child Saturday at 4:44 p.m. to an address in the 800 block of Vallotton Drive.  

Upon arrival, police officers and firefighters began CPR until Emergency Medical Services arrived on scene and took over first aid, the report stated. Paramedics took the child to the South Georgia Medical Center Emergency Room where he received care from ER staff. The child was then life-flighted to a hospital in Jacksonville for further treatment.

On Sunday morning, medical personnel in Jacksonville contacted detectives and advised that the child was deceased, according to the report.

The next day, a medical examiner in Jacksonville did an autopsy on the child and informed a VPD detective, who was present during the autopsy, that there was internal evidence of trauma to the infant. The death was ruled a homicide, police said. 

Detectives continued their investigation and were able to develop a suspect. On Tuesday, detectives obtained arrest warrants for the suspect who was described as the live-in boyfriend of the child’s mother. The suspect was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Lowndes County Jail.

“Any death of a child is a traumatic incident and especially in a case where a murder is involved. I am proud of tireless work by the detectives that investigated this case, who ensured that the offender in this tragic case is held accountable,” Commander Leslie Manahan said.