A Georgia mother who once reported her 8-year-old daughter missing — claiming she was “extremely concerned” for her safety — has admitted to killing the child with the assistance of her girlfriend.
Brittany Hall, 31, pleaded guilty this week to felony murder, 11 counts of cruelty to children, concealing the death of another, and making false statements in connection with the 2021 death of her daughter, Amari Hall, according to a Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office press release. She was sentenced to life in prison.
Hall and her girlfriend, Celeste Owens, who was convicted last year, had conducted several web searches the day Amari — who had autism — was reported missing. Prosecutors say the searches included: “What to do when a child just doesn’t listen,” “Lakes near me,” “How does sewers on the streets work,” “Why do kids run away,” “How do I report someone missing,” and “U-Haul: Customer Account.”
During Owens’ trial, Amari’s younger sister, now 9, testified about how their mother placed toilet paper in Amari’s mouth to “make sure she wouldn’t wake up,” according to Fox affiliate WAGA.
“[Hall] tried to wake her up, and after that she got put in a container with a lid on it, and got put in the trunk of the car and drove to the bad kid’s hospital,” the sister reportedly said.
Hall and Owens had reported Amari missing on November 19, 2021, while staying at a Norcross hotel with Amari’s two younger siblings. The pair claimed they woke up to find the girl gone.
Owens told investigators she had visited her grandmother’s home in Tucker the night before Amari went missing and returned early the next morning. Authorities issued alerts and a news release about Amari’s disappearance, unaware that Hall and Owens were responsible.
“Hall was last seen wearing a blue Tweedy-Bird jacket, with a blue and white pajama set,” the release said. “She is possibly wearing her glasses and her rainbow light-up shoes,” it added. “Hall’s mother is extremely concerned for her daughter’s safety.”
Police later discovered Amari’s body in a wooded area near the Stone Mountain Freeway. Hall initially claimed that Owens killed Amari and transported her body in a rented U-Haul truck to the location where it was found.
“[Amari] was located with three white-colored trash bags around her body,” Gwinnett County crime scene investigator Kea Jimenez testified during Owens’ trial, according to WAGA.
Surveillance footage shown in court captured Owens renting a U-Haul van and driving toward the area where Amari was eventually found. Authorities said the child was buried in a small, shallow grave off Stone Mille Drive in DeKalb County.
“Investigators determined that Hall and Owens were not telling the truth about the child going missing and were able to find evidence of abuse of the other children,” the DA’s office stated when announcing Hall’s guilty plea.
“This mother failed to protect her children and joined in the abuse,” said Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. “This ended tragically. We continue to pray that her siblings can heal from the abuse they endured and that this plea brings closure to them and their extended family.”
The two siblings were placed in state custody following the incidents, according to reports.
