A 29-year-old Georgia mother is set to spend the rest of her life behind bars after pleading guilty to all charges in the murder of her 19-month-old son.
The news of the sentencing was released on Wednesday, July 19, by the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.
Breyanla Lachuan Cooper, the mother, was formally accused in August 2021 with charges of malice murder, aggravated assault, and concealing the death of another. These charges followed after her son, Faheem Cooper, was found dead in the Chattahoochee River on July 1, 2021. His body was discovered by firefighters during a water safety video filming at the Paces Mill Unit boat ramp off Cobb Parkway.
Upon her arrest, Cooper attempted to stall the investigation into her son’s death by claiming that a man she was indebted to had kidnapped him.
However, the authorities found no supporting evidence for her claim. A subsequent examination of GPS data from Cooper’s vehicle showed she had spent more than two hours at the river on the day her son was last seen alive. This led the investigators to believe that the river was the site of the tragic crime. The indictment suggests the toddler was asphyxiated.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Green, during the plea hearing, voiced her shock at the brutal nature of the crime. Superior Court Judge Kellie S. Hill recognized the intense grief suffered by the family.
The trial, initially set for late March, concluded just over two years following the tragic incident.
The sentence aims to serve justice for the young victim and hold the guilty accountable.
