A 29-year-old Georgia mother will spend the rest of her life in prison after pleading guilty to all charges in the murder of her 19-month-old son.
The sentencing was announced by the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday, July 19.
The accused, Breyanla Lachuan Cooper, was indicted in August 2021 on charges of malice murder, aggravated assault, and concealing the death of another. This was after her son Faheem Cooper’s body was found in the Chattahoochee River on July 1, 2021. His body was discovered during a water safety video shoot by firefighters at the Paces Mill Unit boat ramp off Cobb Parkway.
Upon her arrest, Cooper tried to mislead the investigation into her son’s death by claiming a man, to whom she owed money, had abducted him.
However, the claim was unsupported by any evidence found by the police. Detailed examination of her vehicle’s GPS data showed that she had spent over two hours at the river on the day her son was last seen alive, leading the authorities to suspect her of the crime. Other evidence included her other son telling police that Cooper said “their time with Faheem was done”. Phone searches showed her looking at foster care and the river. The indictment implies that the child was asphyxiated.
During the plea hearing, Senior Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Green shared her disbelief at the atrocious nature of the crime. Superior Court Judge Kellie S. Hill acknowledged the deep sorrow the family had to endure.
Cooper’s trial, which was originally scheduled for late March of this year, concluded a little over two years after the incident.