Grandmother of slain girl wants death penalty for daughter

The grandmother of a 5-year-old who was killed Tuesday offered new information to Channel 2 Action News on Thursday.
 
Lisa Coursey's daughter, Amanda Hendrickson, 33, and Hendrickson's boyfriend Roderick Buckner, 34, were arrested in the death of Heaven Woods.
 
"I want the death penalty on both of them." Coursey told Channel 2's Carl Willis. "If she did that to my granddaughter, she needs to rot." 
 
The two are currently charged with felony child cruelty in the child's death. More charges are expected.
 
First responders reported that Heaven wasn't breathing when they arrived at a home on Brookwood Drive in Forsyth Tuesday morning. 
 
Investigators say Heaven died from blunt force trauma to the stomach.
 
"I'll never ever get to see this innocent little beautiful face again," said Coursey. 
 
State investigators say it's possible the little girl suffered long term physical abuse.
 
"Some of those injuries were fresh and new," said Sherry Lang with the GBI. "Some were old injuries that had healed."
 
Coursey says bruises, including a black eye that surfaced around Christmas, and the excuses for how they got there are starting to paint an ugly picture.
 
"I noticed marks around the baby's neck and she told me because (Heaven) was autistic that she did it to herself," said Coursey.
 
Then there's was a Facebook post that Coursey says Hendrickson posted at 5:42 a.m. on the same morning Heaven died. 
 
Hendrickson posed the question: "How do you get bruises to go away?"
 
"I do believe in my heart that my granddaughter died before 5:45 a.m.," said Coursey. "That or the baby was already abused before then and she was trying to find out how to make the bruises go away." 
 
Coursey told Willis she once threatened to call the Department of Family and Children Services when she says she saw Hendrickson lift Heaven off the ground by her hair. 
 
She says a woman from Hendrickson's rent office called her Thursday to tell her she called DFACS.
 
Coursey said the woman claimed that she saw the mother of four with one on the way verbally abusing and slapping Heaven.
 
Coursey says she decided to speak out because Heaven needs a voice now.
 
"People need to know this is going on every day," she said. "If you see a little kid being mistreated report it."

A fund has been set up to help pay for Heaven's funeral expenses. If you would like to donate, you can do so with the information below:

Wells Fargo Checking Account #9213107122

Heaven Woods Memorial Benefit Burial

C/O Anthony M. Woods

Funeral arrangements are pending but are being handled by the father only.

WSBTV