VALDOSTA, Ga. (Scripps News Tallahassee) — A Georgia coroner has ruled the death of a toddler accidental, saying the child suffered multiple force trauma when he was allegedly attacked by dogs.
Stacy Wheeler Cobb, a 48-year-old woman in Valdosta, Georgia, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and child cruelty after a 2-year-old boy, Kaimir Jones, was fatally mauled by Rottweilers at her unlicensed home daycare. (Valdosta Police Department)
Investigators say Stacy Wheeler Cobb, 48, was caring for Kaimir Jones, 2, inside her home in Valdosta, Georgia, when the child got outside, opened a kennel, and was attacked by two Rottweilers.
According to the Lowndes County Coroner’s Office, the cause of death was ruled multiple force trauma, and the manner of death was classified as accidental.
Despite that finding, prosecutors say Cobb’s negligence makes this a criminal case. She’s charged with second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children, both felonies that could bring up to 30 years in prison.
MORE | Daycare owner charged after dogs kill 2-year-old boy
District Attorney Brad Shealy says the law allows for serious charges when someone’s recklessness causes a child’s death.
“In cases like this, intent isn’t the key issue — it’s about responsibility,” Shealy said. When a child is left unattended in someone’s care, and tragedy happens, the law treats that as more than just an accident.”
Shealy says the case will likely go before a grand jury in December or January. Cobb remains in the Lowndes County Jail without legal representation as investigators continue reviewing evidence.
This story was originally written by Malia Thomas for Scripps News Tallahassee, an E.W. Scripps Company.
