NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A Fulton County jury has reached a not guilty verdict in the trial of a child care provider accused of second-degree murder in the death of a toddler.
Janna Thompson told police that she’s not perfect, but maintained she never did anything intentionally to cause the death of a toddler in her care.
Thompson faced second-degree murder and child cruelty charges stemming from the July 2014 death of 3-year-old Max Stephens.
Prosecutors alleged Thompson left Max and two other toddlers alone and unsupervised in her backyard for nearly 20 minutes, during which time Max wrapped a piece of twine around his neck and went down a slide, causing him to suffocate.
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After about four hours of deliberations, the jury acquitted Thompson on all charges.
Thompson and her legal team said they were relieved by the verdict, but the boy’s family said the trial was not fair.
"I don't feel like we got a fair trial. I felt like Judge Newkirk excluded substantial, relevant evidence to this case," father Jeff Stephens told Channel 2’s Tom Regan.
"Max was the name that was used by his maternal grandfather, who had passed away. He had passed away recently. Now, we don’t have any Maxes. They’re all gone," said grandfather Thomas Wayne Stephens.
Jurors said they were very upset with the judge and the district attorney. They believe he brought the wrong charges in the case.