Atlanta Living category interest

The mother of a 4-year-old found unresponsive at an apartment along Candler Road in 2023 was found guilty on multiple counts, including felony murder, and was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years.

Malisha Sasfras, 26, was found guilty on May 17 on charges of felony murder, three counts of first-degree cruelty to children, and two counts of aggravated battery.

Prosecutors say the child was found unresponsive at around 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 11, 2023, at a residence in the 2100 block of Candler Road in DeKalb County. Medics rushed the child to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta where he was pronounced dead.

Sasfras told investigators that her son had a headache that morning and went back to bed. That afternoon, one of her other children noticed he had not gotten up and was cold to the touch.

Sasfras tried to pour water into the child’s mouth to try to wake him, but was not successful. She called her son’s father, Javonte Harris, who convinced her to call 911.

Medical experts found extensive injuries on the boy’s body with numerous scars and bruises in various stages of healing. Investigators say some of those patterns appeared to have been caused by a belt or cord. The young boy also had a scar around his neck that indicates the child may have been strangled and blisters around his wrists and hands, as if he had been bound. The 4-year-old also appeared to have a severe injury to his face.

The DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy and found the boy died from blunt force trauma to the head, which likely occurred six to 8 hours before he died.

Sasfras, who was the only adult home at the time, says she did not know how the boy received the facial injury. She admitted to "whooping" her children sometimes but did not offer further explanations about the injuries the boy suffered.

Social media messages between Sasfras and Harris show the two had discussed beating the child over frequent bed wettings and having accidents during the day, according to prosecutors.

Harris, in May, was indicted by a grand jury on charges of second-degree murder and second-degree child cruelty. There has been no information regarding the scheduling of his next court appearance.