JOURNEY ANN COWART - 1 yo girl / Accused: Brandy Ann Boyd, mother and Austin Levi Payne, boyfriend - Cartersville, GA

Mother, 25, and boyfriend, 24, charged with murdering baby daughter 'after autopsy reveals she had suffered numerous beatings'

Brandy Ann Boyd, 25, and her boyfriend Austin Levi Payne, 24, were charged with cruelty to children but this has been upgraded to murder
An autopsy of baby Journey Ann Cowart's body showed she 'had previously suffered broken ribs and a broken leg'

She died after she was rushed to the hospital not breathing in Bartow County, Georgia on January 21

By Daily Mail Reporter  PUBLISHED: 10:41 EST, 4 February 2014


A mother and her boyfriend have been charged with murder after her daughter was beaten to death just days after first birthday.

Brandy Ann Boyd, 25, and Austin Levi Payne, 24, both of Cartersville, Georgia, were arrested three days after Journey Ann Cowart was rushed to the hospital, not breathing, on January 21.

But on Monday, their charges were upgraded to murder, after autopsy results allegedly showed it was not the first time the little girl had suffered at the hands of her carers.

'A fractured skull, blunt force trauma to the stomach,' Sheriff Clark Millsap told the Atlanta Journal Constitution of the autopsy results.


Charged: Brandy Ann Boyd, left, and Austin Levi Payne, right, have been charged with murder after an autospy revealed that Boyd's one-year-old daughter had suffered numerous beatings before she died last month


Tragedy: Boyd's baby girl, Jordan Ann, died on January 21 after she was taken to hospital not breathing

'The child had healed ribs that had previously been broken. And she also had a femur that had cracked and had already healed.'

Boyd and Payne were initially arrested and charged with first-degree cruelty to children and aggravated assault, and have been held in the Bartow County jail without bond since.

The sheriff said that neither his office nor the Division of Family and Children's Services had previously investigated abuse allegations involving Boyd or Payne.

But last year, authorities came into contact with the family when Journey's father - Blake Cowart, 28 - was reported missing after he stopped taking seizure medication that was needed for a brain injury.

Boyd, Cowart's live-in girlfriend, told authorities that he suffered short-term memory loss, confusion and seizures, and she said she feared he had been taking drugs.


'Cruel': The couple, who were initially arrested and charged with first-degree cruelty, remain in jail


Beaten: Journey Ann had suffered broken ribs, a broken leg and a fractured skull, the autopsy showed The little girl had a number of injuries on her body, according to the medical examiner in Bartow County

In May last year, more than a month after he was reported missing, his body was found by a fisherman in the Etowah River, which was just 15 yards from his home.

Authorities are not linking the investigations into the deaths of Cowart and baby Journey.

Journey's funeral was held on Monday afternoon at The Church at Liberty Square in Cartersville.

Following the service, Journey's paternal grandparents, Mellodie and Allen Hunt, told CBS Atlanta that they were still stunned at the child's death.

'I can't wrap my mind around that someone did that to a baby,' Mrs Hunt said. 'It's supposed to be your natural instinct as mother to protect her.'


Family tragedy: Journey Ann's father, Blake Cowart, was found dead in a river last year. He went missing after failing to take seizure medicine for brain trauma

After their son was found dead, they said they always had to fight to see their grandchild every month. Sometimes, they saw bruises, they said.

Boyd 'explained it away, said she fell and hit her head on the bed', Mr Hunt said.

The Hunts are now trying to get custody of Journey Ann's remains so they can bury her next to their son.

Boyd, from Cartersville, lists on her Facebook profile her job as 'Mommy' at 'I Love Being a Mom'.

The 25-year-old attended Cass High School and Kennesaw State University.

Boyd has been in a relationship with Payne since 2013. He lists his occupation as 'boxing'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2551600/Mother-25-boyfriend-24-charged-murdering-baby-daughter-autopsy-reveals-suffered-numerous-beatings.html

Another bad mother, another bad boyfriend, another family services failure, another dead baby.   Look at that babies face and tell me why we should not have the death penalty.  There is NO argument that you can give me that would change my mind.  Death for a death.  William