In July, DA Boston announced a major development in the case of a young boy whose remains were found near a church cemetery in Decatur more than 23 years ago.

On June 28, a DeKalb County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Teresa Ann Bailey Black, 45, on two counts of Felony Murder, two counts of Cruelty to Children, Aggravated Assault, and Concealing the Death of Another in connection with the death of her 6-year-old son, William DaShawn Hamilton. Black was taken into custody in Phoenix, Arizona on June 29, and is currently awaiting extradition to Georgia.

The charges against Black date back to the February 26, 1999, discovery of the body of a then unidentified child whose remains were found in a wooded area at the corner of Clifton Springs Road and Clifton Spring Church Road. DNA collected from Teresa Ann Bailey Black earlier this year links her to the remains of the child found in February 1999.

“For far too long, this precious little boy had no name and no story,” said DA Boston. “Through the tireless efforts of several individuals and organizations who were determined not to let this boy be forgotten, William has been identified, and justice will be served in his memory.”

According to the investigation, Black (then Bailey) was living in Charlotte, North Carolina with her son and a family member when she abruptly withdrew William from school in December 1998 and moved with him to Atlanta. She returned to Charlotte in late 1999 without William and told differing stories about his whereabouts.

The DA's Office is seeking the public’s assistance. During her time in Atlanta, Teresa Ann Bailey briefly worked at the establishment known as “Pleasers” and may have been obtaining assistance from the Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children. Anyone who may have known or interacted with Defendant Black (then Teresa Ann Bailey) and/or William during their time in the metro area in 1998 and 1999 is encouraged to call the office’s Cold Case Tip Line at 404-371-2444. Callers may remain anonymous. Read more.

Despite continued efforts by the DeKalb County Police Department (DKPD) and Medical Examiner’s Office, as well as media coverage of the case, William DaShawn Hamilton remained unidentified for decades.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) became involved in the case in 2000, providing renderings of the boy, featuring the story on their website and social media channels, and following leads.

In 2019, a NCMEC Forensic Artist completed a new facial reconstruction rendering that received media coverage and drew public interest back to the case. In May of 2020, a tipster who knew defendant Black and her son in 1998 saw a rendering of the unidentified child and contacted NCMEC. DKPD and the DA’s Office picked the case back up and followed the lead

“This case is a perfect example of why we never give up hope,” said Angeline Hartmann, Director of Communications at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. “For more than two decades, a woman in Charlotte who knew William and his mother followed her gut feeling that something wasn’t right and kept looking for him. We’re grateful she never stopped until she found a rendering of William online and gave investigators the missing piece to help solve this 23-year-old mystery.”

DA Boston's voice remains front and center on topics ranging from abortion rights and the importance of combating violent crime, to notable convictions.

When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, DA Boston released a statement reaffirming her prosecutorial authority and discretion not to criminalize abortion services in the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit.

The Last Word, MSNBC, July 1, 2022

In many red states with blue cities run by elected Democrats, county prosecutors have vowed not to enforce laws that criminalize abortion. Two of those District Attorneys – Sherry Boston from DeKalb Co. and Jared Williams from Augusta, Georgia – join guest host Jason Johnson on The Last Word. Imani Gandy from Rewire News Group also joins. Watch the story.

In June, DA Boston gathered her staff for an in-depth training titled, “Reflections on Race and Prosecution: Embracing the Past, Reimagining the Future,” focusing on disparities in the criminal justice system, implicit bias, and the importance of prosecutorial discretion. The training included a viewing of 13th by Ava DuVernay, group discussions and a keynote address, “Race and the Criminal Justice System: The Role of the Prosecutor,” by Professor Angela Jordan Davis, Distinguished Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law.

A panel discussion, “Reflecting on DeKalb’s History,” featured Retired DeKalb Superior Court Judge Clarence Seeliger, who detailed his efforts to integrate the DeKalb Courthouse; Attorney Dee Smith, Chairwoman of the NAACP DeKalb Remembrance Project; and African-American Studies historian, acclaimed author, and professor, Dr. Maurice Hobson. Toni Roberts, Executive Director and CEO of the Atlanta Bar, skillfully guided the impactful conversation. Panel participants pictured below with DA Boston.

Dionte Mapp, a Decatur man charged in a string of cold case rapes in DeKalb County, pleaded guilty to three counts of Kidnapping, three counts of Rape, two counts of Aggravated Sodomy, and two counts of Aggravated Assault in March. The charges are connected to sexual assault crimes against three women dating back to 2006, and the violent assault of a fourth woman in 2015 that led to a break in the previous cases. Read more.

Kevin Walker was convicted in May and sentenced to two life sentences, plus 29 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy. The charges stem from an incident on January 29, 2018. According to the investigation, the victim was walking home after missing his school bus when he encountered Defendant Walker, who then lured the child into his Buford Highway apartment. Once inside the apartment, the child was threatened and then sexually assaulted by Defendant Walker and later by a second Defendant, who came to the apartment at Defendant Walker’s invitation. Read more.

Eric Rodriguez was convicted in March in connection with the death of Amiah Kenney, 12, and her dog Noah. The fatal incident happened on November 11, 2020 on the Peachtree Industrial Boulevard access road in Dunwoody. The victim, her dog, her mother and her mother’s partner were waiting for a family member in a broken-down car to get into their car, when an SUV slammed into the car they were waiting in from behind. The force of the crash pushed both vehicles into the southbound lanes of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Young Amiah and her dog Noah both died. The Defendant fled, but was later identified by crash witnesses on surveillance video following an altercation at a local bar a few days later. Read more.

Jurors returned a 20-count indictment in April against the owner of a Dunwoody home daycare center in connection with the February 3, 2021 death of a four-month-old baby and other allegations of abuse related to children in her care. The child was found unresponsive in his crib at the “Little Lovey” home daycare center. According to the investigation, the baby had been placed on his stomach for sleep--against recommended medical guidelines. Further investigation revealed other alleged abuses against six other victims in the daycare center ranging in age from six months to 16 months old. Read more.

To read more about recent dispositions and news from the DA’s Office, visit the News section of the website.

Victim Advocate Sandra Trejos-Roman was recognized in February at the statewide Victim Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) Conference as Victim Advocate of the Year. The VWAP Conference is hosted by the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia each year for prosecution-based victim witness assistance personnel.

Sandra is a dedicated advocate who pours her heart into every aspect of victim advocacy. She is kind, patient, considerate, loyal, and has tremendous listening skills, which is of great comfort to victims. As a bilingual advocate, she has also worked hard to strengthen partnerships, particularly within the Hispanic community.

In 2020, Georgia had the fifth highest number of human trafficking cases reported in the nation, according to statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline. In commemoration of National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month in January, DA Boston hosted her third annual community forum on this crucial topic.

The virtual event focused on, “Human Trafficking, Social Media & Gangs: Connecting the Dots.” The forum featured a presentation on current trends in the online recruitment of youth, and included a panel discussion with law enforcement, resource providers, and subject matter experts providing insight, tips and strategies for combatting this growing epidemic.