Mother indicted on murder charge after toddler drowns in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Richmond County grand jury has indicted the mother of a 2-year-old who drowned in 2022 on murder in the second degree.

The Richmond County Coroner’s Office says Justus Hyman died after falling into a family friend’s pool. The incident occurred on the 3400 block of Merrimac Avenue in October of 2022.

His mom, Domonique Murray, 37, was charged with child cruelty in the second degree. Now, she facing murder charges.

This comes almost a year after the drowning.

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Hyman was pronounced dead after being transported to the Augusta University Medical Center.

Murray was booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center on Thursday. As of Friday, “grand jury arrest warrant” is listed as her charge in the jail booking.

In October of 2022, we spoke with family members who said Murray had just returned from her honeymoon. She was over at a family friend’s house on Merrimac Avenue with two of her children when they couldn’t find Justus, or Baby J, as they called him.

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An initial report from deputies called the case accidental. It says Hyman attempted to go outside first, and they told him to stay inside.

The report says when they weren’t looking, the toddler went outside without them knowing, and they found him in the pool.

“Yes, it’s an accident. I don’t think she should be in jail at all because accidents do happen,” said Murray’s aunt, Katrima Smalley.

Our I-TEAM found no criminal background for Murray. Her family says she’s a wonderful mother to three children, who’s never been arrested. Until now.

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