FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A grandmother has been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the murder of her 9-month-old grandson, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announced Tuesday.
Tonya Monroe was sentenced by Judge Emily Richardson. She was found guilty on Nov. 11, 2022, for the 2016 murder of her 9-month-old grandson Kobe Shaw, a release stated.
11Alive previously spoke with Kobe's parents Hayden and Taylor Shaw. Kobe had been born with an underdeveloped brain. Doctors told them Kobe would die within five years. The Shaws initially thought that was why Kobe had suddenly died in the middle of the night. However, they were living with Monroe at the time at her Sandy Springs apartment. She frantically woke them up – saying Kobe was turning blue. They called 911 but the infant wasn't able to be revived.
Monroe had initially been tried in 2018, which resulted in an 11-1 hung jury, according to the release. At a second trial, evidence and testimony from the state claimed Monroe had poisoned Kobe – who had a rare genetic disorder. According to the release, Monroe had poisoned Kobe with methamphetamine and "acted with malice and intent to harm the child."
Monroe was found guilty on all five counts including malice murder, two counts of felony murder, cruelty to children in the first degree, and distribution of methamphetamine.
"During the initial investigation, Monroe misled the Sandy Springs Police Department and the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office by attempting to make it appear that Kobe had suffocated," a release stated.
However, the Fulton County Medical Examiner determined Kobe died of a methamphetamine overdose. The Fulton DA said when Monroe found out about Kobe's autopsy results, she took off. After a month-long chase across Georgia and Alabama, she was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals.
"This conviction was the result of a close partnership between our office, the Sandy Springs Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. After two trials over six years, I’m proud that we were able to get justice for the murder of this precious child," DA Fani Willis said.
Kobe's murder case was tried by Deputy District Attorney Lauren McAuley and Senior Assistant District Attorney Robert Shapiro.
“The jury verdict and the sentence reflect the tragedy that Kobe’s family has had to endure for six years,” McAuley added. “And I hope they find some closure and peace at the conclusion of this trial.”
