Vincent Soilberry, 18, was indicted Wednesday for malice murder, felony murder, two counts of child cruelty, aggravated assault and two counts of aggravated battery. He’s being held in the Dougherty County Jail.
Investigators say Soilberry killed 3-year-old Shondarius Roney at the boy’s mother’s South Jackson Street home May 2 and then tried to cover it up by placing the boy into the bathtub and reporting it as a drowning.
According to the indictment, Soilberry is accused of “maliciously” beating the 3-year-old in the head, chest and torso, resulting in “a lacerated liver, fractured ribs, bruising about the body and contusions to the lungs and heart.”
Chief Assistant District Attorney Greg Edwards said Thursday that his office will not seek the death penalty in the case, but did admit that it was discussed.
“It was something that was discussed, but given the age of the defendant, it’s something we’re not going to pursue,” Edwards said.
Responding initially to reports of a child drowning, investigators with Dougherty County’s Child Fatality Investigations Unit declared the incident a homicide after autopsy results revealed Roney died of bodily injury and trauma.