Attorney Seeks to Drop Murder Charge in Infant Hot Car Death Case
An attorney for Deja Coleman, a 29-year-old Georgia woman charged with second-degree murder and cruelty to children after her 1-year-old son died in a hot car, is advocating for the murder charge to be dropped. The attorney argues that the…
Greenville Spartanburg Asheville Anderson, SC, August 5, 2026 —
An attorney representing Deja Coleman, a 29-year-old Georgia woman facing charges of second-degree murder and cruelty to children, is urging prosecutors to drop the murder charge in connection with the death of her 1-year-old son.
The child died after reportedly being left in a vehicle for at least nine hours outside Northside Hospital Gwinnett. The attorney argues that the infant’s death was a tragic accident, attributing the circumstances to severe sleep deprivation and the challenges Coleman was reportedly facing.
Instead of the second-degree murder charge, the defense is proposing that Coleman be charged with involuntary manslaughter and receive probation. This alternative plea suggests a less severe culpability, framing the incident as a result of extreme fatigue and difficult personal circumstances rather than intentional malice.
Details regarding the specific timeline of events leading up to the discovery of the child and the exact conditions within the vehicle were not provided.
Coleman was also charged with cruelty to children. The legal proceedings are ongoing, with the defense seeking to significantly alter the charges against Ms. Coleman.
Story summarized from the original created by ANF staff, Jordan Gartner on www.foxcarolina.com, see more information here.