Newton Citizen

COVINGTON -- A Newton County jury has found a woman guilty of murdering her 5-week-old baby in 2007.

Quanitta Yvette Turner, 27, was found guilty Wednesday night in Newton County Superior Court on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault and cruelty to children in the first degree. She was acquitted of malice murder charges, according to Senior Assistant District Attorney Melanie Bell.

Turner will be sentenced following a pre-sentence investigation ordered by Chief Superior Court Judge John Ott.

The death of the child occurred on Nov. 19, 2007 at a home on Freeman Drive in The Falls subdivision.

"She covered the baby's mouth and nose with her hand until she stopped breathing," said Newton County Sheriff's Office Lt. Tyrone Oliver who investigated the case.

She initially reported that she was sleeping with the baby in her bed and had accidentally rolled over on her during the night, Oliver said in 2010 when charges were brought against the woman, who was living in DeKalb County at the time.

The woman told investigators when she awoke, she found the baby not breathing and called 911. EMS responded to the scene and transported the baby to Newton Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

An autopsy was performed, but the cause of death was listed as "undetermined."

"There were signs that she was suffocated, but they weren't sure why," Oliver said.

In 2010, investigators began to "look further" into the case and brought charges against Turner.

"We talked to Ms. Turner ... and during our investigation, it was disclosed that she, in fact, killed the 5-week-old baby," Oliver said.