DULUTH, GA – A Georgia father has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the felony murder of his infant daughter, prosecutors announced Tuesday. Khaliq Woods, 29, was convicted in the tragic death of his infant daughter, Kamila Woods, at their home in Duluth in 2019.
A Gwinnett County jury reached a verdict after 10 hours of deliberation, convicting Woods of felony murder, aggravated battery, and first-degree child cruelty. The court sentenced him to life in prison, with the possibility of parole.
Authorities reported that Woods brought his daughter to Northside Duluth Medical Center on November 30, 2019, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival. Woods initially claimed the injuries were accidental, suggesting they occurred while he was “playing” with Kamila, tossing her in the air and catching her, a statement the prosecution contested.
District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson expressed her condolences to Kamila’s family, recognizing the profound loss of the child. “This is a tragedy that an infant’s life was taken,” Austin-Gatson said.
Investigators revealed that Woods conducted a Google search on “symptoms of broken ribs in children” around 2 a.m. on the morning of Kamila’s death. Despite Woods’ account, prosecutors argued that the injuries—multiple rib fractures, a lacerated liver, and severe brain swelling—were consistent with being violently squeezed and shaken, not accidental play.
Kamila’s mother had left her in Woods’ care on the day prior to her death. Woods claimed he put Kamila to bed around 10 p.m., checking on her later only to find she wasn’t moving or taking a bottle. He chose to seek medical help several hours later by ordering a ride-share to the hospital the next morning.
During the trial, evidence presented highlighted the severity and nature of Kamila’s injuries, contradicting Woods’ account of events leading up to her tragic death. The prosecution emphasized that such injuries could not have resulted from accidental roughhousing, bringing about a pivotal point in the trial.
Austin-Gatson hopes the jury’s decision will bring a sense of closure to Kamila’s grieving family. The Guardians of Gwinnett County’s legal system wish to see justice serve as a healing process for those affected by the loss.