In South Carolina, a 26-year-old mother, Jackleen Elizabeth Mullen, is set to spend multiple decades behind bars for the brutal killing of her disabled 4-year-old daughter, India Heavenly Lacey Martin, who was discovered beaten to death and concealed in a dresser drawer shared by Mullen and her then-boyfriend three years ago.
State Circuit Court Judge Eugene C. Griffith, Jr., recently issued a 30-year sentence for Mullen after a jury in York County found her guilty of homicide by child abuse. Additionally, she was convicted on one count of aiding and abetting homicide by child abuse and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The sentences are to be served concurrently, with Mullen required by state law to serve at least 85% of her term. Credited with just over three years of time served, she becomes eligible for release approximately 22 years from the guilty verdict.
Despite being acquitted of one count of murder, which could have led to a life sentence, Mullen's conviction sheds light on a disturbing case. Mullen's then-boyfriend, Audrevious Williams, is also facing charges of homicide by child abuse and aiding and abetting homicide by child abuse, having testified against Mullen during the trial.
When India was reported missing initially, police visited Mullen and Williams' residence to inquire about her whereabouts. Mullen misled investigators, falsely claiming her daughter was with a relative named Cindy in North Carolina. However, the child's body had already been concealed in the upstairs dresser drawer. The grim discovery was made by the police in May 2020.
Body camera footage from the trial depicted an officer confronting Mullen about her daughter's whereabouts. Despite the officer's assertion that the child was dead, Mullen insisted her daughter was at Cindy's house, denying any knowledge of her demise. Prosecutors highlighted Mullen's disturbing actions, noting that she had confessed to a forgery case at the police headquarters while still lying about her daughter's death.
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