The Supreme Court of Georgia has upheld the conviction of an Augusta woman accused of killing her daughter with a pair of scissors a decade ago.
Marina Middlebrooks is serving a life sentence plus 20 years for stabbing her 2-year-old daughter, Sky Allen, in the neck. She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, saying she was having a religious delusion she was on a mission from God to help the child go to heaven.
Middlebrooks and the girl were found in a wrecked vehicle on Ray Owens Road in Appling May 2, 2013. Both were covered in stab wounds. Authorities later determined she had committed the crime in Augusta.
During the trial a jury heard testimony about Middlebrooks’ bizarre behavior since her return from combat tours in Iraq in 2006. A state psychologist said Middlebrooks was faking symptoms, while two other doctors testified she was incapable of knowing right from wrong, according to prior news reports.
MORE: Graniteville man killed by couple while riding in car
On appeal, Middlebrooks contended the trial court made a mistake in allowing the psychologist to testify about what happens when a person is found not guilty by reason of insanity. He testified the person would be evaluated at a hospital for 30 days and potentially released afterward.
Reviewing all the evidence, the Supreme Court in a unanimous opinion determined the statements were unlikely to have contributed to the jury’s guilty verdict and upheld the conviction.
The state’s high court also upheld the 2013 conviction of Jeremy Gene Taylor for malice murder in the death of Eric Bolar and aggravated battery of Seaborn Roberts.
Taylor was accused of battering Roberts at the Hale Foundation and murdering Bolar at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.
The court also upheld the conviction of Jonathan Tavarus Evans, accused of the 2018 shooting death of Jamborees Wright and the non-fatal shooting of Brandon Martin.
Susan McCord is a staff writer with The Augusta Press. Reach her at susan@theaugustapress.com
