Georgia Beauty Queen Sentenced After Toddler’s Fatal Injuries in Campus Dorm Room as Prosecutors Detail ‘Death Countdown’

AMERICUS, GEORGIA — A former Georgia beauty queen has been sentenced to life in prison after a jury found she fatally injured her boyfriend’s 18-month-old son inside her college dorm room, a tragedy prosecutors described as a “death countdown” unfolding in less than an hour. The case, centered on events at Georgia Southwestern State University, has drawn significant attention due to the boy’s rapid medical decline, the relationship dynamics described in court, and the defendant’s public persona as a pageant winner.

Prosecutors Detail Timeline Leading to Toddler’s Fatal Injuries

Jurors convicted 20-year-old Trinity Poague of felony murder and aggravated battery for the January 2024 death of Romeo “J.D.” Angeles, the toddler son of her boyfriend, Julian Williams. Though she was acquitted of malice murder, the judge ordered a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 30 years.

According to testimony from Prosecutor Lewis Lamb, J.D. was a “healthy little boy” when Williams left the dorm room shortly before noon to pick up a pizza. Within just 30 minutes, prosecutors said, the toddler’s condition deteriorated so severely that doctors described him as being in a “literal death countdown.”

When Williams returned, he found the child vomiting and barely conscious. He rushed J.D. to Phoebe Sumter Hospital in Americus, where doctors documented catastrophic injuries including a fractured skull, brain bleed, extensive bruising, and a lacerated liver.

Medical experts testified that the head trauma must have occurred within an hour of the hospital visit — a window during which Poague was alone with the child.

Defense Suggests Alternative Causes; Jury Rejects Arguments

Poague’s attorney argued that the child’s injuries could have resulted from a fall off a 40-inch-tall dorm bed, a lack of food in the hours before his death, or potential harm by his intoxicated father the night prior. The defense insisted Poague was unfairly targeted by investigators who “jumped to conclusions.”

But prosecutors countered with video evidence showing J.D. behaving normally on the morning of the incident and pointed to Poague’s own text messages, including one sent to her roommate saying:

“I can’t stand being around J.D. anymore. He hates me and I hate him.”

The jury sided with prosecutors after determining the fatal trauma must have occurred while Poague was the only adult present with the toddler.

Relationship Strain and Motives Explored in Court

Prosecutors described the relationship between Poague and Williams as unstable, with J.D.’s presence becoming a recurring source of tension. They said Poague resented the attention Williams gave his son and longed to start a family of her own.

The indictment alleged she inflicted blunt force trauma to the child “with malice aforethought,” rendering parts of his brain “useless” and causing “serious disfigurement.”

Poague was arrested days after the homicide following multiple interviews and a detailed investigation at the direction of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Life After Arrest: Pageant Title Removed and Family Seeking Justice

Poague previously held the title Miss Donalsonville 2023 and competed at the National Peanut Festival pageant. She frequently posted about her faith and gratitude for her experiences, but after her arrest, the Early County News reported she was officially stripped of her title.

J.D.’s father, Julian Williams, expressed frustration when Poague was released on bond soon after her arrest, calling it a “slap in the face” as he sought justice for his son.

The sentencing brings some closure to a case that has gripped communities across Georgia, raising discussions around campus safety, domestic conflict, and the vulnerabilities of young children caught within adult disputes.

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