Former Beauty Queen Trinity Poague Killed Her Boyfriend's Toddler

A former pageant winner stands trial this week in Georgia, accused of a crime so appalling it has left the public stunned: the violent death of an 18-month-old boy she was trusted to care for.

Trinity Poague, once crowned Miss Donalsonville 2023, now faces murder charges in the death of her boyfriend Julian Williams' baby son, Romeo Angeles, a child whose short life ended in unspeakable circumstances.

The trial began on December 2, 2025, in Sumter County Superior Court, where the prosecution has begun laying out a chilling theory supported by pointed alleged evidence that would shake anyone. And as the grim details unfold, the boy's grief-stricken mother has spoken publicly and hopes for one thing.

An Arrest That Sent Shockwaves Through the Community

At approximately 2 p.m. on January 14, 2024, the Georgia Southwestern State University Police Department requested urgent help from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

An 18-month-old toddler, found beaten and unresponsive on university grounds, had been rushed to the emergency room at Phoebe Sumter Hospital in Americus. Despite the frantic efforts of medical staff, the child's injuries were too severe. He died shortly after being admitted.

After conducting multiple interviews and piecing together the facts, authorities arrested Poague, a sophomore at Georgia Southwestern State University, on January 20, 2024.

She was charged with aggravated battery, felony murder, malice murder, and cruelty to children in the first degree.

Poague was booked into Sumter County Jail and initially held without bond. But public anger exploded when it was revealed that Poague was later released on a $75,000 bond.

"This feels like a slap in the face to me and my family," said Williams. "All we want is justice for my son. Letting her out and being free is not right. She took an innocent 1-year-old's life."

The Americus Police Department joined forces with campus police to carry the investigation forward. At the time, authorities urged anyone with information to come forward and contact their tipline.

Once the investigation was complete, the case was turned over to the Southwestern Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for prosecution.

A Night of Horror Inside a College Dorm Room

The incident that led to Poague's arrest allegedly took place inside her dorm room at the campus, where she had been hosting Williams and his son.

At one point, Williams stepped out to pick up a pizza, leaving the boy alone with Poague. Shortly after, Poague reached out by phone, telling her boyfriend to come back immediately because his child wasn't breathing.

When Williams returned, he found his son unresponsive. In a panic, he rushed the boy to the hospital, hoping doctors could save him.

Medical staff fought to stabilize the toddler to prepare to have him airlifted to a children's hospital in Atlanta, but it was already too late. The child was pronounced dead around 4 p.m.

The Trial Unfolds as a Disturbing Motive Is Allegedly Revealed

Nearly two years have passed since the tragedy that shattered a young boy's life and upended a Georgia community. Now, the long-awaited trial of 20-year-old Poague has finally begun, and every chilling detail is being broadcast live on YouTube for the world to see.

Poague has entered a plea of not guilty to every charge. But prosecutors have started laying out a case that threatens to destroy whatever innocence still clings to her former image.

According to Prosecutor Lewis Lamb, the motive behind the child's death was rooted in jealous resentment. The state claims Poague was envious of the bond between her boyfriend and his son from a previous relationship.

"She wanted to have a child or children with Julian Williams," Lamb told the jury on Tuesday. "But not that child."

Prosecutors have alleged that Poague killed the toddler in a jealous rage, believing the attention and affection Williams gave the boy rightfully belonged to her.

The theory goes further, claiming she did not want to be a stepmother and saw the boy as an obstacle to the future she imagined.

The Evidence Begins to Paint a Disturbing Picture

In the last few days of testimony, prosecutors have also unveiled evidence that seemingly casts an even darker shadow over Poague.

Among the most unsettling pieces are text messages, some of which she allegedly sent to her former roommate, Parris Purmort. In one, she expressed how deeply she disliked Angeles, whom his father also referred to as Jaxton Drew.

"I can't stand being around JD anymore. He hates me and I hate him," Prosecutor Lamb told the jury that Poague had written.

The court also heard that Poague once asked her roommate to sleep in her room, claiming the toddler had been "fussy" and that Williams was not helping with childcare.

But a disturbing detail came from Poague's internet search history, which happened while she and Williams were at the hospital. According to a witness from the prosecution's side, Poague looked up phrases such as "How do you get a brain bleed?" and "How can a depressed skull fracture go unnoticed?"

Damning Testimonies Expose Contradictions and Shocking Injuries

Testimony added more context to the events of that night, as Sumter County Coroner Matthis Wright took the stand and revealed inconsistencies in Poague's story.

According to Wright, Poague initially claimed that Angeles had been eating chips shortly before he lost consciousness. But that detail was quickly shattered by medical exams from that night, which confirmed the boy had nothing in his stomach before he died.

What the exam further revealed was even more horrifying.

The toddler had suffered "blunt-force trauma" to his head and upper body. It was so powerful that his brain was rendered "useless."

Then, the coroner explained that Poague changed her story. She told investigators that the child had simply fallen off the bed.

But the emergency room doctor who treated the boy that day, Dr. Michael Busman, testified that the injuries did not match a fall. In fact, he said the swelling and fluid found coming from the child's nose pointed to a "direct blow" to the head.

If that wasn't disturbing enough, a previous indictment had also revealed that Angeles had suffered a "serious disfigurement to his liver."

As this week of trial continued, jurors were also shown videos from Poague's own phone. In the footage, the boy appeared happy, alert, and completely uninjured just the day before.

But just 35 minutes alone with Poague in her dorm room, Prosecutor Lamb told the court, left the child with bruises, head trauma, and even a fractured bone at the back of his skull. The attorney insisted there was no possible way those injuries came from falling off a bed.

Meanwhile, the defense attorney, W. T. Gamble III, pushed back, arguing that Williams was a "controlling boyfriend" who had been drinking shortly before the boy was injured. He acknowledged the unpleasant tone of Poague's texts but told the court there is no direct evidence she harmed the child.

Still, after her arrest, the pageant organization swiftly responded by stripping Poague of her Miss Donalsonville title. Furthermore, if the jury finds her guilty on all counts, she faces life in prison without parole, or potentially, the death penalty.

A Mother's Agony and a Plea for Justice

On December 4, Sheyla Angeles Garnica, the mother of the victim, spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail. She revealed she had no idea that her ex-partner was even seeing someone new, let alone that her son was staying in the care of that person.

The call she received that day was shattering, and she said she never expected to learn such horrifying news.

Angeles Garnica expressed that she and Williams had made a spoken agreement early on: not to expose their son to a new partner at the beginning of any relationship. Had she known Poague was involved, she would have acted differently.

Now, she's left with devastating questions and a belief that the charges against Poague are justified.

The mother said there was no excuse for hurting her child, especially when there were other options. The couple could have worked through any tension, or Poague could have ended the relationship. Instead, a child's life was taken.

"I just hope, we hope, that my son gets the justice that he deserves," she told the outlet. "I really hope that she does get convicted, that she does go to jail, because well, everything is showing that she did it intentionally."

Angeles Garnica is now raising her other two children, a six-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, while carrying the grief of her youngest's death. Her son, she said, had a loving bond with his baby brother.

Since the 18-month-old's death, she has changed the way she parents. No more sleepovers. The trauma has altered everything.

While Poague has described the little boy as a difficult, his mother remembers something completely different. He was a calm, happy baby who loved Oreos, Mexican food, and would often fall asleep to Spanish music playing softly in the car.

More than anything, she wants people to know that Angeles was very much wanted. She and Williams planned his birth. And despite everything, she doesn't hold Williams responsible for the tragedy.

She said it's common for people to date parents, and most of the time, no one ever imagines something like this could happen.

"And it's not his fault because I know he would never do anything to intentionally hurt our son," she said to the Daily Mail. Though she won't be attending the trial, she continues to stand by Williams in full support.