A former beauty pageant queen is standing trial on accusations that she killed her boyfriend’s 18-month-old son, who died after allegedly being severely beaten.
Trinity Poague is charged with malice murder, felony murder, cruelty to children in the first degree and aggravated battery, as reported by outlets including WDHN and WALB. She has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Poague was arrested in January 2024, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
The charges stem from the death of toddler Romeo Angeles — who was also known as Jaxton — after he was found unresponsive on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University, prior reports state.
During Poague’s trial, which began Tuesday, Dec. 2, and was broadcast by Court TV, prosecutors argued that she resented the little boy because she wanted to have a child of her own with her boyfriend.
Prosecutors also alleged that Poague sent text messages to her roommate saying she wanted to punch the child.
In an indictment cited by WALB, Sumter County authorities alleged that Poague’s actions caused “serious disfigurement to his liver” and left the toddler’s brain “useless.”
Lilly Waterman, a student at Georgia Southwestern State University, told WRDW at the time that she heard the toddler crying for an extended period and that “everyone said that suddenly it just stopped.”
According to Early County News, Poague previously held the title of Miss Donalsonville, which was revoked following her arrest.
A GoFundMe campaign set up to support Jaxton’s father raised $12,000.
