Nationwide — Deja Coleman, a 29-year-old African American mother from Lawrenceville, Georgia who is facing a murder charge in the death of her 1-year-old son, Daniel, was allowed to visit his funeral. Deputies took her to the mortuary early and returned her to jail even before the service began.
A judge had approved Coleman’s request to attend Daniel’s funeral at Hollifield Mortuary in northwest Atlanta. Instead of staying for the service, Coleman arrived at 6 a.m., seven hours before the ceremony was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Coleman spent about 45 minutes inside the mortuary during the private visit. She wore jail clothes and had handcuffs on her wrists and ankles while several deputies accompanied her.
Deputies took Coleman back to jail before her family arrived for the afternoon service. Her father, Beny Williamson, said the family was frustrated that she could not stay for Daniel’s funeral.
Williamson said the family still focused on honoring Daniel during the service. He described it as beautiful but said he spent much of the day thinking about his daughter and had difficulty processing his grandson’s death.
Coleman’s attorney, Tom Ford, initially questioned why deputies brought her to the mortuary so early. After speaking with Coleman, he said she was grateful for the opportunity to see Daniel and appreciated the deputies who accompanied her.
The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office said it could not discuss the details of Coleman’s transport because of security and operational concerns.
Coleman faces second-degree murder charges after investigators accused her of leaving Daniel inside her car while she worked an eight-hour shift at Northside Hospital Gwinnett on July 29. Her family and attorney have maintained that his death was a tragic mistake rather than an intentional act.
“Murder, this is not. A dead child in a car with a wailing mother in the parking lot is not murder. I don’t care what the statute says. It is a mistake because you have a dead child does not make it a crime,” Ford said.
Ford asked the judge to dismiss the murder charge during Coleman’s preliminary hearing Tuesday. The judge said the hearing was meant to determine whether probable cause existed for the case to continue and that she did not have authority to decide Coleman’s bond.
After the hearing, Coleman’s relatives and supporters gathered outside the jail. A neuroscientist also discussed how severe stress and sleep deprivation can affect brain function and potentially cause a parent to unintentionally leave a child inside a vehicle.
Coleman remains charged with second-degree murder in Daniel’s death.