Concluding one of the most bizarre trials to come through the city court system, three reputed cult members have been found guilty in the death of a toddler who they say wouldn't say "Amen" at meals, reports The Sun's Tricia Bishop.
How strange was the trial? The toddler's mother pleaded guilty last year through an unprecedented plea bargain that calls for all charges to be dropped if the boy is reincarnated, and the three defendants who went to trial opted to defend themselves and didn't call any witnesses or muster a closing argument. Queen Antoinette, Trevia Williams, and Marcus Cobbs were found guilty of first-degree child abuse resulting in death and second-degree murder by a city jury that deliberated for about two hours.
Each faces a maximum of 60 years in prison when they are sentenced in May.
Prosecutors argued that the defendants showed the "height of maliciousness" in not feeding Javon Thompson as punishment, even if they never intended the boy's death, which happened slowly and painfully over days.
"His skin discolored, his eyes sunk in, his lips got chapped," Assistant State's Attorney Patricia McLane told the jury during her closing arguments Tuesday.
Here's links to some of our coverage of the case (Arrest, Another arrest story, Mother's plea, Pre-trial, Testimony, Testimony 2, Testimony 3,)