(RNS) A Baltimore jury found three religious sect members guilty of second-degree murder on Tuesday (March 2) in the starving death of a 16-month-old boy because he did not say “amen” during a mealtime prayer.
Jurors deliberated less than three hours before convicting Toni Sloan, along with her daughter Trevia Williams and Marcus A. Cobbs, of child abuse resulting in the death of Javon Thompson, according to the Baltimore Sun. They will be sentenced May 18, and each faces up to 60 years in prison.
Cobbs, known as “Prince Marcus,” was also convicted of accessory after the fact for covering up the death. The accused members represented themselves and remained silent as the verdict was read after a six-day trial.
According to media reports, Sloan, the leader of the household sect, claimed God renamed her “Queen Antoinette.” Her influence over the toddler’s mother, Trinidad-born Ria Ramkissoon, led to the boy’s starvation. The 23-year-old mother testified that Antoinette said the baby had “a spirit of rebellion” and withholding food as punishment would cure him.
The eight household members of the house watched Javon waste away and died in either December 2006 or January 2007, according to testimony. His remains were found in April 2008 inside a suitcase hidden in a Pennsylvania shed.
“Nobody did anything,” said Julie Drake, Baltimore city assistant state attorney, during the trial, according to the Sun. “That’s the basis of the crime.”
Ramkissoon continued to care for her son weeks after his death, in an attempt to bring him back to life. Ramkissoon pleaded guilty last year to child abuse resulting in death. Prosecutors said she will be released from jail soon and enrolled in a residential treatment program.
Ramkissoon’s attorney, Steven D. Silverman, told reporters that he was relieved at the defendants’ conviction.
“I was fearful that the jury might consider her the most culpable, since she is the custodian of the child,” Silverman said, according to the Associated Press. “But fortunately, they were able to see clearly that the Queen was in control of the situation.”
