CANTON, Ga. — A Cherokee County woman has pleaded guilty to murder, child cruelty and more in the 2022 death of a 2-year-old girl.
Phillissa Diallo took a non-negotiated plea deal for the death of Alyssa Rose Davis. She was sentenced to 37 years with the first 21 to be served in prison.
Prosecutors say that in Dec. 2022, Diallo walked into the Canton Police Department and told them there was a dead child in her apartment.
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When officers searched, they found Davis’ mutilated body in a plastic storage bin hidden in a closet underneath other items. There was a salt-like substance in the box.
Autopsy results confirmed that Davis had lethal doses of acetaminophen and diphenhydramine, which is commonly recognized under the brand name Benadryl.
Davis was last known to be alive on Dec. 8, 2022, and her body was found six days later.
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Prosecutors say that for more than two weeks, Davis was in Diallo’s care. Ring video footage showed Diallo leaving the child alone for extended periods of time.
They say the girl’s mother was in continuous contact with Diallo and did not know about her daughter’s death until she was notified by police.
Defense attorneys argued that Diallo was delusional, but a Georgia Department of Behavioral Health expert testified that she was not experiencing delusions during the time of Davis’ death.
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